The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) has confirmed the death of a male motorist and critical injury to his wife following a devastating road crash at EKEKO Junction along the Lekki–Ajah Expressway early Thursday morning.
According to LASTMA, the accident involved an articulated truck loaded with granite that reportedly suffered brake failure while approaching Eleko Junction from the Epe axis. The truck, said to be moving at high speed, lost control and rammed into a Toyota saloon car travelling inward Epe from Ajah.
The impact caused the truck to overturn and crush the smaller vehicle, trapping the driver inside the wreckage.
LASTMA disclosed that its officers, in collaboration with officials of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) and passersby, carried out rescue operations and successfully extricated the victims from the crushed vehicle. However, the male driver was confirmed dead at the scene, while his wife, who occupied the front passenger seat, sustained life-threatening injuries and was rushed for emergency medical treatment.
The agency further revealed that FRSC ambulance services evacuated both victims for necessary medical and mortuary procedures.
In a related development, LASTMA condemned the truck driver’s conduct, noting that he fled the accident scene immediately after the crash, evading arrest and legal accountability.
Operatives of the Akodo Police Division were said to have provided security during the rescue and recovery operations, ensuring order around the accident scene.
Reacting to the incident, LASTMA General Manager, Olalekan Bakare-Oki, expressed condolences to the bereaved family and described the crash as avoidable.
“This is a deeply distressing and preventable tragedy. We sympathise with the bereaved family and pray for the speedy recovery of the injured victim. LASTMA remains committed to enforcing traffic regulations, especially against reckless driving, poor vehicle maintenance and other violations of road safety rules,” Bakare-Oki said.
Meanwhile, LASTMA also confirmed a separate emergency involving a 33,000-litre fuel tanker that caught fire around midnight near Ile-Zik inward Magboro along the Lagos–Abeokuta Expressway.
According to Adebayo Taofiq, Director of Public Affairs and Enlightenment Department of LASTMA, the agency’s rescue team, working with the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, swiftly responded and successfully extinguished the fire before it escalated into a major disaster.
Taofiq explained that LASTMA officials diverted traffic into the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) lane to allow emergency responders unhindered access to the scene and to ensure public safety.
“Following the successful firefighting and recovery operation, the affected section of the road was reopened for normal vehicular movement,” he said.
