A physically challenged man was killed on Saturday after a multiple-vehicle crash caused by a suspected brake failure disrupted traffic along the outbound section of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway in Ogun State.
The fatal crash occurred at Car Park C and involved a container-laden Mack truck with registration number AGL 374 XX, a loaded DAF truck marked AKM 476 XB, and a white Toyota bus with registration number AKD 137 YA.
The Ogun State Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Agency (TRACE) confirmed the incident in a statement issued by its Head of Media, Babatunde Akinbiyi.
According to Akinbiyi, eyewitnesses said the Mack truck lost its brakes while approaching a turning point and crashed into vehicles attempting to negotiate the bend. The out-of-control truck also struck a physically challenged man in a wheelchair, killing him instantly.
“According to eyewitness accounts, the MACK truck had a brake failure and hit vehicles negotiating a turning, and a beggar on wheels chair, slicing his body,” Akinbiyi said.
He added that the crash severely disrupted traffic on the outbound Lagos route, with TRACE officials, the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), and the Nigeria Police working to manage the scene and restore normal traffic flow. Recovery operations were still ongoing as of the time of filing this report.
The latest accident comes barely a day after another fatal series of crashes on the Kara Bridge section of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway claimed the life of a motor boy and caused extensive traffic congestion.
The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) said Friday’s collisions occurred on Kara Bridge inward Mowe-Ibafo and involved three articulated trucks, two Mitsubishi Canter trucks, a Toyota Sienna, and a separate articulated trailer carrying chemical substances that overturned on the bridge.
According to LASTMA, the overturned trailer blocked the roadway, triggering a chain-reaction collision involving the other vehicles. A motor boy trapped in the initial crash died despite rescue efforts by emergency responders, while his remains were later evacuated.
The incident led to a massive traffic gridlock stretching from Kara Bridge through Berger to Otedola Bridge, with the congestion extending to the Isheri-Olowora and Ogunnusi corridors.
(The Whistler)