By Nurat Uthman
It was a tragic scene yesterday, as one person (a traffic hawker) was confirmed dead in a multiple autocrash crash that occurred along Kara Bridge axis, of Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.
The accident involved seven vehicles: a container-laden MAC truck, 18-seater commercial bus belonging to GUO motors, Sienna vehicle, Toyota Corolla and a Toyota Matrix car.
Eyewitness told The Guardian that the accident, which occurred around 7 a.m., was due to a brake failure of the truck, whose driver rammed into vehicles from behind. The source said one of the vehicles, a Toyota Matrix fell off the Kara Bridge.
Many people were also injured in the accident.
Vehicular movement on the axis was halted for hours as travellers were stranded in the gridlock, which extended from the bridge to Otedola Bridge and inwards OPIC, affecting outbound movement from Lagos.
It took the timely intervention of officers of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) and the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) to carry out rescue operations/ remove the damaged vehicles from the bridge and restore sanity on the ever-busy highway.
Speaking on the incident, Ogun State FRSC Sector Commander, Ahmed Umar, confirmed to journalists that a traffic hawker was killed in the road mishap. He also confirmed that the accident was attributed to brake failure on the part of the truck, which rammed into other vehicles in front.
The Director, Public Affairs and Enlightenment Department (LASTMA), Adebayo Taofiq, in a statement said: “The fully loaded 40fts containerised truck crushed four other private vehicles that include: Passat SUV AGL 323 GK), (a Camry MUS 270 HE), (Black colour Lexus Jeep) and (Black Prado Jeep) and Hiace 18-seater commercial bus with passengers.”
He disclosed that the Head of LASTMA (Zebra), Ojodu-Berger, Mr. Mabunmi Oluwa-biyi Abisola, who led the rescue team confirmed that the truck with four other accidental private vehicles involved in the accident were immediately removed from ‘Kara’ bridge to pave way for free flow of traffic.
He added that emergency responders at the scene of the accident include the Nigeria Police, Trace Officials and Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC).
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