A Lagos-based JD Auto Workshop car painter was found dead while sleeping in a car packed in a car paint oven . He was reported to have turned on the car, and switched on air-conditioning before dozing off.
According to reports, the deceased, named Oguntunbo, and his co-workers were forced to sleepover at the workshop due to the gridlock on the Lekki-Epe Expressway.
The victim was reported to have allegedly sneaked out from an office, where he was initially sleeping with his coworkers, into a vehicle parked in the oven.
Before he slept in the car, Oguntunbo was said to have switched on the car ignition and the air conditioner so as to have a comfortable sleep.
The next day, his lifeless body was found in the car parked inside the exhaust-filled oven. Several attempts to revive him proved abortive.
One of his coworkers named Adesina, narrated what happened before the sad incident.
Qe were supposed to go home on Saturday, but because there was gridlock, we decided to sleepover in the workshop with the intention of leaving early the next day when hopefully there would be less congestion on the road. But when I woke up around 4.30 a.m, I woke Peter up, but Oguntunbo was nowhere to be found.
The gate was bolted from inside and he should, therefore, be on the premises. So, we started searching for him in the workshop and also checked all the vehicles that were parked on our premises, but we could not find him. But when I sent someone to check the oven, he returned to inform me that the engine of the car parked in the oven was still running.
I quickly went to the oven and saw that the smoke coming out of the exhaust pipe of the car had filled the whole oven and escaped immediately the doors were opened. The oven was very hot and when I got in, I saw Oguntunbo lying on the car seat. I started reprimanding him for what he had done but he never responded. I never knew he had died. So, I informed my boss and we both went to the police station to report.
Oguntunbo’s boss, Daye Oruwari, while commiserating with the bereaved family, said the deceased started working at the workshop three months before the incident. He added that the company supported the family with the burial arrangements.
He stated,
After his colleagues tried waking him up and he didn’t respond, I was informed and we went to report at the Ogombo Police Station, where the Divisional Police Officer led a team to inspect the scene of the incident. We also contacted his family and his corpse was later deposited in the mortuary.”
According to the state Police Public Relations Officer, Bala Elkana, no mark of violence was found on the corpse. He added that Oguntunbo’s remains were deposited in the mortuary for an autopsy.
These are some of the reasons why it’s a bad idea to sleep in a car, especially in a badly ventilated place where exhaust fumes can enter the car and kill the car occupant. One can die of suffocation as a weak AC will not be able to completely refresh the air inside the car.
Olalekan Ajimoti – Blogger, Content Writer, and Digital Marketer helping brands and retailers build 8-figure e-commerce since 2016.
As a corporate trainer, brand communications expert, and brand consultant, I help people start, stay and grow in business leveraging digital skills and traditional expertise.
