A granite-laden truck has crushed a Toyota saloon car at Eleko Junction along the Lekki-Epe Expressway in Lagos, killing the driver and leaving his wife in critical condition.
In a Thursday statement signed by Adebayo Taofiq, Director of Public Affairs and Enlightenment Department of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, preliminary findings revealed that an articulated truck, conveying granite and travelling at an inordinate speed from the Epe axis, was approaching Eleko Junction when it reportedly experienced a brake malfunction.
According to the statement the driver of the Toyota saloon car became entrapped within the mangled wreckage and was pronounced dead at the scene and his wife, seated in the front passenger position, sustained life-threatening injuries and was immediately rescued for urgent medical attention.
The statement reads, “The mechanical failure precipitated an abrupt loss of vehicular control, causing the truck to career off its designated path and collide forcefully with a Toyota saloon car travelling from Ajah inward Epe.
“The sheer momentum of the impact resulted in the truck toppling and descending upon the smaller vehicle, crushing it beneath its prodigious weight.”
The statement added, “Authoritative reports further indicate that the driver of the Toyota saloon car became entrapped within the mangled wreckage. Through the valiant and coordinated intervention of LASTMA personnel and the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) in collaboration with public-spirited bystanders, the victim was extricated from the debris.
“The remains of the deceased and his critically injured spouse were evacuated from the accident locus by an ambulance service deployed by the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) for requisite medical and mortuary procedures.”
The statement further revealed that the driver of the articulated truck fled the scene immediately upon witnessing the recovery of the deceased victim, thereby evading lawful accountability.
The statement further reads, “Operatives of the Akodo Police Division furnished essential security reinforcement, maintaining order and safeguarding the vicinity throughout the duration of the rescue and recovery operations.”
The General Manager of LASTMA, Olalekan Bakare-Oki, conveyed his profound condolences to the bereaved family, characterising the incident as a deeply distressing and preventable tragedy.
He further extended earnest prayers for the expeditious and full recuperation of the injured spouse, while reaffirming the Agency’s resolute commitment to the rigorous enforcement of traffic statutes, particularly against reckless driving, mechanical dereliction and egregious violations of established road safety protocols.
In a separate incident, LASTMA reported that a 33,000-litre fuel tanker erupted into flames at midnight around Ile-Zik inward Magboro along the Lagos–Abeokuta Expressway.
The LASTMA Rescue Team, in seamless synergy with the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, responded and successfully contained the inferno before it could escalate into a large-scale disaster.
The statement further reads, “To guarantee unobstructed emergency access and operational efficiency, LASTMA personnel immediately diverted vehicular traffic into the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) corridor, thereby preserving public safety while minimising disruption.”
“Upon the successful conclusion of firefighting and recovery exercises, the affected corridor was duly reopened, restoring the free flow of vehicular movement,” the statement concluded.
