Four people were critically injured on Tuesday when a Mack truck carrying a 40-foot container rammed into several vehicles at First Gate, inward Mile 2, in a multiple-vehicle crash that the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) says was likely caused by brake failure.
The truck driver has been apprehended, according to a statement by LASTMA’s Director of Public Affairs and Enlightenment, Adebayo Taofiq.
The crash involved the fully laden Mack truck, a second truck carrying a 20-foot container, a T4 commercial bus (AAA 723 YF) and nine commercial motorcyclists riding on a restricted highway.
Preliminary findings indicate that the Mack truck lost braking control and crashed into the 20-foot container truck, the bus and the motorcyclists in a chain-reaction collision.
Four victims, three men and a woman, suffered critical injuries, including multiple fractures of the arms and legs.
LASTMA officers on routine duty nearby responded quickly, beginning emergency traffic control and rescue operations. They extricated the injured and handed them over to police personnel from the Roro Division, who took them to a nearby hospital for treatment.
The officers also secured the scene and helped remove the damaged vehicles and other obstructions to restore traffic flow along the corridor.
The Mack truck driver and the other drivers involved were handed over to the police for further investigation and possible prosecution, depending on the outcome of the probe.
LASTMA General Manager Mr. Olalekan Bakare-Oki sympathised with the victims and their families and wished them a speedy and full recovery.
He expressed concern over the continued operation of commercial motorcycles on restricted highways, saying their vulnerability around articulated and other heavy vehicles can worsen the consequences of crashes.
Bakare-Oki urged motorists, commercial transport operators and other road users to exercise caution, obey traffic regulations and have their vehicles regularly and thoroughly inspected before use.
“Operators of articulated vehicles, in particular, must accord meticulous attention to the condition of their braking systems, tyres, steering mechanisms and other safety-critical components before embarking on any journey,” he said. “Mechanical roadworthiness is not merely a regulatory requirement; it is an indispensable safeguard for the preservation of human lives.”
He added that compliance with traffic regulations remains essential to reducing avoidable crashes, especially on strategic transport corridors with heavy vehicular and commercial activity.
