By Olasunkanmi Akoni
Two people lost their lives while others sustained critical injuries following multiple early-morning crashes involving heavy-duty vehicles on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway and the Third Mainland Bridge on Monday, triggering hours of traffic chaos across major corridors in Lagos.
The incidents caused severe gridlock stretching from Kara Bridge through Otedola Bridge and into the Third Mainland Bridge axis, leaving thousands of commuters stranded during the peak morning rush.
The first fatal crash occurred around 2:30 a.m. at Otedola Bridge, inward Berger, when an unregistered vehicle, reportedly travelling at dangerous speed, rammed into a moving, heavily-laden trailer. The impact killed both occupants of the car instantly.
In a disturbing development, the driver of the articulated truck reportedly fled the scene with the trailer.
The second crash occurred at about 5:00 a.m. near the University of Lagos waterfront on the Third Mainland Bridge, inward Lagos Island. It involved an empty fuel tanker and a sachet-water delivery van with registration number SMK 67 XH, leaving two persons severely injured.
The injured victims were given immediate first aid by the Lagos State Ambulance Service before being rushed to a nearby hospital for emergency treatment.
The crashes compounded an already heavy traffic situation, with vehicles backed up from Kara through the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway to Third Mainland Bridge. Many commuters were stranded at bus stops as commercial transport operators more than doubled their fares.
The General Manager of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), Olalekan Bakare-Oki, confirmed the accidents and casualties, describing both crashes as preventable tragedies.
Officers of the Nigeria Police, LASTMA and other emergency responders battled for hours to control traffic and clear wreckage from the roads. The bodies of the deceased were evacuated, while the wrecked vehicles were removed to restore free flow of traffic.
Bakare-Oki commiserated with the families of the victims and warned motorists against reckless speeding and disregard for traffic regulations. He reaffirmed LASTMA’s commitment to round-the-clock traffic surveillance and rapid emergency response to protect lives and ensure road safety across Lagos.
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