An articulate truck driver has been confirmed dead while another sustained varying degrees of injuries by the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) following multiple auto crashes that occurred on Otedola Bridge end of the Lagos–Ibadan expressway.
The auto crash which crippled vehicular movement on the road was said to have occurred during both drivers, who were laden with sand ad granite, contest for the right of way.
During the contest, bith trucks collide, resulting in the entrapment of the driver of the sand-laden truck, who sustained fatal injuries and was later confirmed dead by medical experts attached to the General Hospital in Ikeja.
In a related development, another traffic incident was recorded approximately 50 metres from the primary crash site, where a separate trailer fully loaded with flour lost stability and overturned, further aggravating traffic congestion along the already compromised corridor.
To forestall a breakdown of law and order and ensure public safety, security operatives from the Alausa Police Division were promptly deployed to the scene to provide adequate security cover, manage crowd control and support ongoing rescue and recovery operations.
Cumulatively, the incidents obstructed nearly 80 per cent of the carriageway, thereby compelling the implementation of extensive traffic control and diversion measures. Consequently, motorists travelling inward Lagos from the Mowe, Kara Bridge and Redemption Camp axis were redirected through the Ojodu–Olole route, connecting Agidingbi, Coca-Cola, Secretariat, and 7-Up to enable continued movement towards Gbagada or Ojota with minimal inconvenience.
The Special Adviser to the Governor on Transportation, Sola Giwa, described the crashes as deeply regrettable and largely preventable, attributing them to impatience, indiscipline and the refusal of drivers to yield appropriately on the expressway.
He stressed that strict compliance with traffic regulations and the observance of mutual courtesy among motorists remain indispensable in averting such needless loss of life.
Giwa extended his profound condolences to the family of the deceased driver, praying for fortitude to bear the irreparable loss.
He also commended the swift, coordinated and professional response of LASTMA operatives, LASAMBUS personnel and security agencies in effectively managing the emergency.
