A fatal multiple-vehicle crash involving articulated trucks occurred on Friday at Otedola Bridge, inward Secretariat, along the Lagos–Ibadan Expressway, temporarily paralysing traffic and triggering a swift multi-agency emergency response.
The main accident involved a collision between two heavy-duty trailers—one conveying sand and the other loaded with granite—reportedly caused by a contest for right of way. The impact trapped the driver of the sand-laden trailer, who sustained fatal injuries and was later confirmed dead.
Operatives of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) Rescue Team, while on routine surveillance, responded promptly to the scene. The trapped driver was successfully extricated and handed over to the Lagos State Ambulance Service (LASAMBUS), which conveyed him to the General Hospital, Ikeja, where he was pronounced dead.
The driver of the second trailer was rescued alive and escaped unhurt.
In a related incident, another trailer fully loaded with flour overturned about 50 metres from the primary crash site, worsening congestion along the already affected corridor.
To maintain public order and support rescue operations, security personnel from the Alausa Police Division were deployed for crowd control and security cover.
The combined incidents obstructed nearly 80 per cent of the carriageway, forcing traffic authorities to implement diversions. Motorists travelling inward Lagos from the Mowe, Kara Bridge and Redemption Camp axis were redirected through the Ojodu–Olole route, linking Agidingbi, Coca-Cola, Secretariat and 7-Up to access Gbagada or Ojota.
Reacting to the incidents, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Transportation, Hon. Sola Giwa, described the crashes as regrettable and avoidable, attributing them to impatience, indiscipline and failure to yield on the expressway.
He stressed that strict adherence to traffic regulations and mutual courtesy among road users are critical to preventing needless loss of life.
Hon. Giwa also commiserated with the family of the deceased driver and commended the prompt and coordinated response of LASTMA operatives, LASAMBUS personnel and security agencies.
The Lagos State Government reaffirmed its commitment to road safety and urged motorists—particularly operators of heavy-duty vehicles—to exercise restraint, professionalism and strict compliance with traffic laws to safeguard lives and property across the State.
