Another Truck Crash Triggers Gridlock On Lagos Expressway

A multiple-vehicle accident involving four vehicles has caused serious traffic congestion along the Apapa-Oshodi Expressway in Lagos.

The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) said the accident occurred at Cele Express, inward Mile 2, on Tuesday.

According to LASTMA, the crash involved a Hilux van, a containerised heavy-duty truck, a patrol van and a Toyota car.

The agency attributed the accident to a mechanical fault, suspected to be brake failure.

It added that an unconfirmed number of casualties had been rushed to the hospital.

“A multiple accident occasioned by mechanical fault/brake failure involving a Hilux van, a containerized heavy-duty truck, a Patrol van, and a Toyota car occurred at Cele Express inward Mile 2 along the Apapa Oshodi Express Way, resulting in unconfirmed number of casualties who have been rushed to the hospital,” the agency said on X.

LASTMA said its officers were manning strategic points along the expressway to advise motorists and divert traffic to alternative routes to prevent further casualties.

The agency also urged motorists to exercise caution while driving.

The latest incident comes days after four people died and 13 others sustained critical injuries in a collision involving a truck and a commercial bus on Alaro City Bridge, inward T-Junction, Epe, Lagos State.

LASTMA disclosed in a statement issued on October 28, by its spokesperson, Adebayo Taofiq, that the truck driver also sustained severe injuries, including the loss of both legs, which became trapped in the wreckage.

According to the agency, preliminary accounts indicated that the truck rammed into the fully loaded commercial bus while both vehicles were traversing the single-lane bridge, trapping several victims in the wreckage.

The 13 injured passengers were rushed to a nearby medical facility for urgent treatment by the Lagos State Ambulance Service (LASAMBUS).

LASTMA operatives, with support from the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), evacuated the bodies of the deceased to a mortuary, while personnel from the Epe Police Division provided security during the rescue and emergency response operations.

The General Manager of LASTMA, Olalekan Bakare-Oki, expressed condolences to the families of the deceased and wished the injured victims a speedy recovery.

He urged motorists to exercise caution, drive responsibly and comply with traffic regulations, particularly when navigating bridges, narrow roads and other areas where limited space increases the risk of accidents.

THE WHISTLER reports that the Epe accident came days after another fatal crash at Mile 2, near Freeman Market, inward Apapa, where a mother and her child died after two heavily laden 20-foot container trucks overturned.

The mother and child were trapped beneath the overturned trucks and their containerised cargoes, sustaining fatal injuries.