A mother and her child have died after two trucks carrying 20-foot containers overturned near Freeman Market, Mile 2, along the inward Apapa route in Lagos State.
The victims were reportedly trapped beneath the overturned trucks and their containers, sustaining fatal injuries in the crash.
The Director of Public Affairs and Enlightenment Department of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, Adebayo Taofiq, confirmed the incident in a statement on Sunday.
According to Taofiq, the accident occurred over the weekend, leaving the mother and child dead beneath the heavy-duty vehicles and their cargo.
He stated, “The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority over the weekend responded to a devastating road traffic incident at Mile 2, by Freeman Market, inward Apapa, in which a mother and her child lost their lives following the overturning of two heavily laden 20-foot containerised trucks.
“The harrowing incident left both victims trapped beneath the overturned trucks and their massive containerised cargoes, sustaining catastrophic injuries that rendered their remains unrecognisable.”
Following the crash, LASTMA rescue and recovery teams arrived at the scene to evacuate the victims, remove the wreckage and control traffic.
The affected section of the road was temporarily closed to traffic, while motorists were redirected through an adjoining service lane to prevent congestion and further accidents.
Taofiq explained that a crane and a high-capacity tow vehicle were deployed to lift and remove the overturned trucks and their containers.
Police officers also provided security during the recovery exercise, while the victims’ remains were conveyed to the Police Mortuary in Yaba for the necessary procedures.
Reacting to the tragedy, LASTMA General Manager, Olalekan Bakare-Oki, sympathised with the bereaved family and called for a comprehensive investigation into the circumstances surrounding the accident.
Bakare-Oki urged the relevant security agencies to determine whether mechanical faults, overloading, improper cargo distribution, driver negligence or other factors were responsible for the incident.
He also emphasised the importance of enforcing road safety regulations, carrying out routine vehicle inspections and ensuring that containers and other cargoes were properly secured before transportation.
The LASTMA boss reiterated the need for motorists, particularly operators of articulated trucks, to prioritise safety and ensure their vehicles meet the required standards.
He said, “The preservation of human life remains paramount,”
Bakare-Oki further stressed that responsible driving practices and regular vehicle maintenance were crucial to preventing avoidable road fatalities.
The incident comes days after another fatal truck accident was reported along Mile 6, Ajebo Road, in the Obafemi-Owode Local Government Area of Ogun State.
In that crash, a motorboy died, while three other people, including the truck driver, sustained injuries when a trailer carrying cement reportedly suffered brake failure while descending a bridge.
The spokesperson for the Ogun State Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Agency, Babatunde Akinbiyi, said the accident occurred at Agbedejobi village on Wednesday.
According to Akinbiyi, the driver lost control while attempting to avoid a vehicle ahead.
The trailer subsequently plunged into a ditch before veering onto a railway track and spilling its cement cargo into a nearby bush.
