Two separate crashes involving trucks, trailers and several vehicles caused heavy traffic on the Gbagada Expressway in Lagos on Thursday. As a result, motorists were caught in slow-moving traffic while emergency officials worked to reopen the road.
According to The Punch, the Gbagada Expressway accident scenes involved a major collision between two trucks. There was also another crash near Charlie Boy involving two trailers and five other vehicles.
Officials of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority were deployed to both locations alongside tow trucks and other heavy-duty equipment. These were used to remove the damaged vehicles.
At the main crash scene, one of the trucks had already been cleared from the road. Meanwhile, officials continued efforts to remove the second vehicle.
LASTMA tackles Gbagada Expressway accident
LASTMA General Manager, Olalekan Bakare-Oki, said officers had been at the scene since about 5am. They worked to restore normal traffic movement.
“As you can see, the major one here, all efforts is on ground to remove it. The first one has been removed about 45 minutes ago,” he said.
Bakare-Oki said the agency deployed a forklift and two heavy-duty tow trucks. It was also making arrangements for a crane to assist with the remaining vehicle.
“We have every equipment, a forklift, another two major tow trucks here. But we are trying to arrange another crane now. The arrangement is solid. We will put all hands on deck and ensure the vehicle is removed,” he said.
Second crash worsens traffic
Further along the expressway near Charlie Boy, another collision involving two trailers and five vehicles also disrupted traffic.
Bakare-Oki said the five smaller vehicles involved in the second crash had already been evacuated. In addition, a tow truck remained at the scene to remove the trailers.
“There is another accident at the back by Charlie Boy involving two trailers and five vehicles. All five vehicles have been evacuated,” he said.
He added that officials were working to clear the remaining heavy vehicles. They aimed to restore normal movement along the busy Lagos corridor.
The two accidents caused a significant build-up of vehicles as motorists navigated the affected sections of the expressway. This occurred while recovery operations continued.
