One Dead, Traffic Disrupted After Trailer Crash at Otedola Bridge

Share Tweet Share Send

A fatal multiple-vehicle accident involving articulated trucks at Otedola Bridge, inward Secretariat, along the Lagos–Ibadan Expressway, has claimed the life of a trailer driver.

The incident occurred in the early hours of Friday, December 23.

The Director of Public Affairs and Enlightenment Department of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), Adebayo Taofiq, confirmed the development in a statement issued on Friday.

The crash caused severe traffic disruption on both sides of the busy expressway, leaving commuters and passengers stranded for several hours.

According to Taofiq, the crash involved two heavy-duty trailers—one conveying sand and the other granite—which collided violently.

“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.

READ ALSO:

“The trapped victim was professionally extricated and immediately transferred to personnel of the Lagos State Ambulance Service (LASAMBUS), who 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,” Taofiq said.

In a related development, another traffic incident occurred approximately 50 metres from the primary crash site, where a fully loaded trailer carrying flour lost its balance and overturned, further exacerbating traffic congestion along the already affected corridor.

Taofiq stated that security operatives from the Alausa Police Division were swiftly deployed to the scene to prevent a breakdown of law and order, manage crowd control, and support rescue and recovery operations.

“Cumulatively, the incidents obstructed nearly 80 per cent of the carriageway, thereby compelling the implementation of extensive traffic control and diversion measures.

“Consequently, motorists travelling inward Lagos from the Mowe, Kara Bridge and Redemption Camp axis were redirected through the Ojodu–Olole route, connecting Agidingbi, Coca-Cola, Secretariat, and 7-Up to enable continued movement towards Gbagada or Ojota with minimal inconvenience,” Taofiq added.

Reacting to the incidents, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Transportation, Sola Giwa, described the crashes as deeply regrettable and largely preventable.

He attributed them to impatience, indiscipline, and drivers’ refusal to behave appropriately on the expressway.

Giwa stressed that strict adherence to traffic regulations and mutual courtesy among motorists remain critical to preventing avoidable loss of lives on the roads.

Post Views: 84