Nigeria: Abuja scare as car plunges into stream near Zone 7 bridge

By Zuleihat Owuiye, Mamos Nigeria

Motorists and pedestrians were left in shock on Wednesday afternoon after a grey Peugeot 206 plunged into a stream beneath the Zone 7 bridge, just after the Wuye flyover, in a lone accident in Abuja.

The vehicle reportedly veered off the busy expressway, somersaulted several times and crashed under the bridge at about 12:51 p.m., drawing a crowd of concerned onlookers.

Eyewitnesses said the driver, identified as a soldier, was briefly trapped inside the wrecked car before passers-by, commercial riders and security personnel quickly joined forces to rescue him.

“It happened all of a sudden. The car lost control, flipped repeatedly and landed under the bridge. People rushed there immediately to help,” said Musa Abdullahi, who witnessed the incident.

Another eyewitness, Blessing Okorie, said the rescue effort was swift and well-coordinated. “The driver was conscious when they brought him out, and an ambulance arrived within minutes to take him to the hospital,” she said.

A commercial motorcyclist at the scene, Sadiq Lawal, said some motorists stopped without hesitation to assist. “We helped to secure the area and stayed until security officers arrived,” he said.

A roadside trader, Aisha Mohammed, also recalled hearing a loud bang before noticing the wreckage beneath the bridge. “Everyone was shocked, but help came quickly,” she said.

It was gathered that the injured driver was taken to a nearby hospital for medical attention. Traffic on the expressway slowed briefly as authorities worked to manage the situation and clear the scene.