Three traditional rulers from Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State have been confirmed dead in an auto crash in the state on Friday.

Nine other persons were also said to have been injured in a separate accident on the same day.

Eyewitnesses told PUNCH Online that the affected monarchs lost their lives in a road accident involving Benz E230 with number plate OLODOGBO and a commercial Scania Truck with registration number 301 XF at Aje Iye in the local government area.

Investigation further revealed that two of the affected monarchs died on the spot, while the third person died a few hours later at the Ladoke Akintola University Teaching Hospital, where he was rushed.

One of the eyewitnesses, Olawoyin Adekunle, said, “Six passengers were involved in the crash, but the three survivors are undergoing treatment at LAUTECH Teaching Hospital. The affected passengers were going for a social function at the nearby community when the accident occurred.

“The affected monarchs are Olodogbo of Odogbo, Onibowula of Bowula and Alayetoro of Ayetoro in Oriire Local Government.”

When contacted, the state Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Commission, Joshua Adekanye, confirmed the incident and said, “It was a head on collision involving a private and commercial vehicles on Ogbomoso-Oyo Wxpressway. The survivors are undergoing treatment at LAUTECH Teaching Hospital while the corpses of the victims have been deposited at the morgue of the same hospital.”

In a related development, Adekanye also confirmed that nine out of the 13 persons suffered varying degrees of burnt when a truck caught fire on Ogbomoso-Oyo Expressway on the same day

He added that no life was lost but the injured ones are receiving treatment in the hospital.