A police inspector and four others were killed in a multiple collision that occurred at the Kara Bridge area of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, an incident that emergency responders at the scene blamed on speeding and brake failure.
This is coming barely 24 hours after a driver was hospitalised following a collision between two trucks at the Otedola Bridge section of the same expressway.
The accident was said to have occurred on Wednesday night after a truck rammed into a stationary faulty truck, causing it to catch fire.
As of 11 p.m. on Wednesday, emergency responders had barricaded the section of the expressway while efforts were going on to extinguish the fire and prevent it from spreading to other vehicles.
The barricade, however, caused a major gridlock, leaving several vehicles trapped on the stretch of the road from Kara Bridge to Otedola Bridge as motorists remained at a standstill for hours.
An eyewitness said the accident occurred a few minutes past 9 p.m. adding that the impact of the collision triggered the inferno that engulfed one of the trucks.
“The crash happened around a few minutes past 9 p.m., and immediately after it occurred, another truck coming from behind rammed into one of the trucks forcefully.
“The impact was heavy, and that was why the detached head burst into flames. Nobody could go near at that moment because the fire was very fierce.”
Some impatient motorists were seen driving against traffic to escape the gridlock caused by the incident.
Several vehicles also diverted through the Berger underpass, connecting to the other side of the expressway and driving one-way towards the OPIC U-turn.
A pedestrian who claimed to have witnessed the aftermath of the crash said early rescue efforts by passersby were hampered by poor visibility.
“My friend was among those who tried to help before the arrival of the state firefighters, but the flames were too much. It was already dark, and we couldn’t tell the number of people involved. At that time, we felt one or two people may have fallen off the bridge in the process.”
Spokesperson for the Ogun State Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Agency, Babatunde Akinbiyi, disclosed that the accident occurred when a truck rammed into another faulty, stationary truck.
According to Akinbiyi, a vehicle was attempting to tow the faulty truck away when an oncoming truck rammed into it, causing it to burst into flames.
He noted that the three trucks involved could not be identified as they were unregistered.
Akinbiyi said seven people were involved in the crash, with five dead and two sustaining injuries.
“The vehicles involved are two Mack trucks and one tow truck. According to eyewitness accounts, a broken-down truck was in the process of being towed by a PSP towing operator when another oncoming truck crashed into it, immediately igniting a fire.
“Seven males were involved. Five males died, and two males were injured. The injured victims were taken to the Emergency Hospital in Lagos by FRSC operatives.”
READ ALSO:
- Multiple vehicle crash causes gridlock on Lagos-Ibadan Expressway
- NDLEA files forfeiture case against Pretty Mike’s club over drug party
- EFCC arraigns three for suspected N12bn PMS theft
Similarly, the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Moshood Jimoh, had earlier announced that a police inspector who was part of the police advance team deployed to the scene died in the accident.
“It’s very unfortunate that we lost one of our police inspectors who came with our advance team to salvage the situation,” Jimoh said.
Meanwhile, the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency confirmed that four people died in the accident.
According to a statement by the agency’s Permanent Secretary, Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, the accident occurred due to recklessness and mechanical error.
Oke-Osanyintolu stated, “Upon arrival at the incident scene by 0709 hours, it was discovered that five vehicles had collided with one another in a multiple-crash incident.
“The five trucks, registration numbers unknown, included a mini truck laden with cartons of cracker biscuits, a fully laden heavy-duty long truck, a 40ft containerised truck, a trailer laden with sardines and a private tow truck.
“The multiple collision occurred due to a mechanical error and reckless driving, causing the trucks involved in the accident to ram into each other. One of the tractor heads detached and fell into the lagoon below the bridge, trapping the driver and truck assistant inside the truck.”
He added that “four fatalities occurred. All were adult males, including a police officer. Two deaths occurred at the incident scene, while the other two were upon arrival at the hospital.” Earlier on Thursday, the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority disclosed on its X page that eight casualties were recorded in the incident.
