Drivers arrested for plying restricted route
By Ogochukwu Agha
LAGOS — Four persons sustained critical injuries on Tuesday in a multiple road crash involving two trucks, a commercial bus and nine motorcycles at First Gate, inward Mile 2, on the Mile 2-Seme Expressway, Lagos.
The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) said no life was lost in the crash, which disrupted the free flow of traffic along the busy expressway.
According to preliminary findings by LASTMA, one of the Mack trucks involved in the crash might have suffered brake failure, resulting in loss of control before it collided with another truck conveying a 20-foot container, a T4 commercial bus and the nine motorcycles.
Director, Public Affairs and Enlightenment Department of LASTMA, Adebayo Taofiq, said the collision involved two Mack trucks, one of which was conveying a 20-foot container, a T4 commercial bus with registration number AAA 723 YF, and nine commercial motorcyclists operating on a restricted highway.
He said the apparent brake failure of one of the trucks resulted in loss of braking control and a chain-reaction collision.
“The force of the impact left four victims, three males and a female, with critical injuries, including multiple fractures to their arms and legs. The gravity of their condition necessitated immediate rescue intervention and urgent medical attention,” Taofiq said.
He said LASTMA personnel conducting routine traffic management operations in the area responded promptly and commenced emergency traffic control, rescue and incident-management operations.
According to him, the injured victims were extricated from the scene and handed over to security personnel from the Roro Police Division, who conveyed them to a nearby hospital for medical treatment.
Taofiq said LASTMA personnel also secured the accident scene, managed the resulting traffic disruption and facilitated the removal of the damaged vehicles and other obstructions to restore normal traffic flow.
He said the driver of the Mack truck conveying the container, alongside other drivers involved in the crash, was handed over to the police for further investigation and possible prosecution, subject to the outcome of the investigation.
The General Manager of LASTMA, Olalekan Bakare-Oki, expressed sympathy to the injured victims and their families and wished them a swift and complete recovery.
Bakare-Oki also expressed concern over the continued operation of commercial motorcycles on restricted highways, particularly heavily trafficked corridors where interactions with articulated and other heavy-duty vehicles could aggravate the consequences of crashes.
He urged motorists, commercial transport operators and other road users to exercise caution, comply with traffic regulations and ensure that vehicles undergo regular and comprehensive mechanical inspections before being put on the road.
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