An unidentified tricyclist has died after a truck rammed into three vehicles at the Ekoro Junction along the Abule-Egba/Command Road in Lagos State on Wednesday.
An eyewitness, identified as Abiodun, told the PUNCH that the crash happened in the early hours of the day after the trailer lost control and hit a tricycle and two cars.
He said the tricyclist died instantly after the trailer crushed his head, while two other drivers sustained serious injuries.
“A trailer lost its brakes and ran into a tricycle and two other vehicles at Ekoro Junction. The tricyclist’s head was crushed, and about three people were injured. The police and LASTMA officers later came to evacuate the body and rescue the injured,” Abiodun said.
A police officer who spoke under anonymity confirmed that the tricyclist died on the spot while the two injured were drivers of the other vehicles.
Confirming the incident, the spokesperson for the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, Adebayo Taofiq, said preliminary findings showed the crash was caused by brake failure.
According to him, the vehicles involved included a six-tyre trailer with registration number AGL 514 XD, a Honda Pilot (FST 992 DV), a Toyota Camry (EKY 753 JA), and an unregistered tricycle.
He said, “The trailer suffered a brake failure and went out of control, crushing the tricycle before colliding with a Honda Pilot, jumping the median, and hitting a Toyota Camry and nearby property. LASTMA operatives rescued two trapped victims and confirmed the tricyclist dead.”
Taofiq said the crash caused temporary traffic congestion, which was later cleared through diversion efforts.
The General Manager of LASTMA, Olalekan Bakare-Oki, described the crash as tragic and preventable, urging drivers to observe safety measures and maintain their vehicles regularly.
He extended condolences to the tricyclist’s family and prayed for the recovery of the injured victims.
In a related statement, the Permanent Secretary of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, said the truck was carrying beverages and bottled water when it fell on the parked tricycle.
He confirmed that the tricyclist died on the spot while two occupants of the other cars were injured.
He added, “Preliminary investigations showed that the truck suffered a mechanical fault while descending the road. The driver’s efforts to stop it failed, leading to the crash.”
Similar crashes involving trailers and tricycles have been on the rise. Earlier this week, a cement truck crushed a minor to death along the Ilaro-Ibese Expressway in Ogun State.
Also, on October 4, five people were killed when a truck ran over a tricycle at the Alapoka axis of the Papalanto–Ilaro Road in Yewa South, Ogun State.
