Seven persons, including two lecturers from a faith-based private tertiary institution, University of Mkar, lost their lives in a motor accident at Gbatse community along Ugbema-Adikpo Road in the Ushongo Local Government Area of Benue State.

The incident happened around 5pm on Saturday when a truck crushed a Toyota Camry car with number plate, MKD 300 NH, in which the victims were occupants.

An eyewitness, who identified himself simply as Terna, on Sunday said, “A truck ram into a stationary Toyota Camry car with the number plate, MKD-300-NH, crushing the seven occupants to death.

“The truck was conveying a car and the driver wanted to escape from a police checkpoint when he rammed into the waiting car, killing all the occupants.

“It took the police and other individuals over five hours to evacuate the bodies of the victims.

“Some documents recovered from the scene of the accident identified the lecturers as Mr Josua Leva of Mass Communication Department, and Moses Tarnongo, among the victims of the accident.

“A Zenith ATM card was found on the bodies of one of the victims, identifying her as Adaa Blessing.”

Tarnongo was said to have who died alongside his wife and three children.

The Benue State Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps, Aliyu Baba, said, “The accident was caused by dangerous driving from the truck driver, who was trying to dodge a checkpoint. He crushed the occupants of the Toyota Camry, killing seven people and injuring one.”

Meanwhile, the Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, on Sunday sent condolences to families of the victims.

In a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Terver Akase, Ortom  “sympathized  with the management, staff and students of University of Mkar who lost two of their lecturers in the accident – Joseph Leva; and Moses Tarnongo who died alongside his wife and three children.