Tragedy on Friday struck on the Okordia/Zarama section of the East-West road with a VIP vehicle crushing some traders and killing three persons.
The vehicle, identified as a green coloured Mercedes Benz jeep with registration number SAG420JP was reported to have crushed a commercial tricyclists popularly known as Keke Napep with registration KMT346VP and killed the traders on board.
The incident, which occured about few kilometers from the crowded market, however, threw the crowd of traders into state of panic.
An eyewitness told our correspondent that a male and two female were crushed to death in the accident.
Another person was rescued and reported to be in serious condition. The driver of the Mercedes vehicle was however, reported to have escaped the scene to avoid mob action.
Some policemen and officials of the Federal Road Safety Corps(FRSC) however, attributed the cause of the accident to excess speed and loss of control.
Those injured were, however, taken to Niger Delta University Teaching Hospital, Okolobiri and corpses of the deceased deposited at the Christian Gate Mortuary, Amassoma Road Bayelsa State.