The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority has confirmed the death of a truck driver following a fatal crash involving two articulated vehicles in Lagos.
The Special Adviser to the Governor on Transportation, Mr Sola Giwa, disclosed this in a statement issued on Friday, saying the accident occurred at Otedola Bridge inward Secretariat along the Lagos–Ibadan Expressway and caused severe traffic disruption.
According to Giwa, the incident involved two heavy-duty trailers, one carrying sand and the other loaded with granite, which collided violently, reportedly due to reckless competition for right of way.
“The principal incident involved a violent collision between two heavy-duty trailers, one laden with sand and the other conveying granite reportedly occasioned by a reckless contest for right of way.
“The forceful impact led to devastating consequences, resulting in the entrapment of the driver of the sand-laden trailer, who sustained fatal injuries and was later confirmed dead,” he said.
He explained that LASTMA rescue operatives, who were on routine patrol and monitoring duties, swiftly responded to the scene and rescued the trapped driver before handing him over to the Lagos State Ambulance Services.
“The LASAMBUS personnel conveyed him to the General Hospital, Ikeja, where he was pronounced dead. The driver of the second trailer was rescued alive and remarkably escaped unhurt,” he said.
Giwa added that a secondary accident occurred close to the main crash site, involving another trailer loaded with flour that lost balance and overturned, worsening the traffic situation.
“This 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 Police Division in Alausa were promptly deployed to the scene.
“Cumulatively, the incidents obstructed nearly 80 per cent of the carriageway, thereby compelling the implementation of extensive traffic control and diversion measures,” he said.
He noted that motorists heading into Lagos from Mowe, Kara Bridge and the Redemption Camp axis were diverted through the Ojodu–Olole route, linking Agidingbi, Coca-Cola, Secretariat and 7-Up, to allow access toward Gbagada and Ojota with minimal disruption.
Giwa urged road users to obey traffic laws and exercise patience on the roads, stressing that mutual respect among motorists is critical to preventing avoidable tragedies.
