Three students of the Lagos State University of Science and Technology lost their lives on Saturday after a sand-laden truck suffered brake failure and rammed into several vehicles at Powerline Junction, inward Ikorodu Roundabout, Lagos.
Seven others, including tricycle operators and passengers, were injured in the crash, which involved an unregistered tipper truck, a Toyota Corolla car with number plate SMK 42 AJ, a multi-purpose bus, and four tricycles.
The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority spokesperson, Adebayo Taofiq, confirmed the incident in a statement on Saturday.
He said the truck, which was speeding, lost control and crashed into vehicles on the busy road, killing two male and one female student of LASUSTECH instantly.
“In an incident that threw the Ikorodu area into mourning, three students of LASUSTECH lost their lives in a multiple crash caused by a sand-laden tipper that suffered brake failure,” Taofiq said.
He added that seven others sustained serious injuries and were rescued by emergency officials who arrived quickly at the scene.
“Officials of LASTMA, the Federal Road Safety Corps, and the Police from Shagamu Division rescued the injured victims and took them to nearby hospitals for treatment, while the bodies of the deceased were deposited at Ikorodu General Hospital mortuary,” he stated.
He said all damaged vehicles were later cleared to ease traffic congestion caused by the accident.
The General Manager of LASTMA, Olalekan Bakare-Oki, expressed sadness over the tragedy and sent condolences to the families of the victims.
He described the crash as avoidable, blaming it on reckless driving and poor vehicle maintenance.
“This unfortunate incident shows the urgent need for heavy-duty vehicle drivers to check their vehicles regularly and obey speed limits,” Bakare-Oki said.
He added that LASTMA would continue to enforce traffic laws and ensure quick response to road emergencies across the state.
