At least four people, including a police inspector, have lost their lives in a tragic multiple-vehicle collision involving five articulated trucks on Kara Bridge, inward Mowe, along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.
Confirming the incident at the crash site on Thursday, Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Olanrewaju Ishola, described the accident as a major tragedy that occurred at the boundary between Lagos and Ogun States.
“We have a case of multiple accident at the border between Ogun and Lagos State,” Ishola told journalists. “Five vehicles were involved, all articulated vehicles. Precisely, three people have been rescued from the scene of the accident. As early as 5 a.m., we have been on it, and we have other agencies here assisting us. We have LASTMA, the Road Safety Corps, and other security agencies.”
The commissioner explained that preliminary findings showed the crash was triggered by a trailer that experienced brake failure.
“At the beginning, we have a trailer that failed brake, and it is important that everybody in charge of their vehicle ensures proper maintenance,” he said.
Ishola also confirmed that a police inspector who was part of the advance response team lost his life during the operation.
“It’s very unfortunate that we lost one of our police inspectors that came with our advance team to salvage the situation,” he stated.
The police chief used the opportunity to caution motorists, especially operators of articulated trucks, against reckless driving, which he said was responsible for many fatal accidents on Nigerian highways.
“We want road users, especially those driving articulated vehicles, to stop this kind of recklessness. If they are not reckless in their driving habit, we won’t have this kind of accident,” he warned.
As of press time, rescue operations by the police, Federal Road Safety Corps, Lagos State Traffic Management Authority and other emergency agencies were still ongoing at the scene.
