Two people died, and several others were left with serious injuries on Monday after two separate early-morning crashes involving heavy-duty vehicles on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway and the Third Mainland Bridge, according to a Vanguard news report.
The incidents led to a massive gridlock that stretched from Kara Bridge to Otedola Bridge and spilled into the Third Mainland Bridge, leaving many commuters stranded during the rush hour.
The first crash happened around 2:30 a.m. at Otedola Bridge, inward Berger. An unregistered vehicle, said to be speeding, ran into a moving trailer loaded with goods. Both occupants of the smaller vehicle died on the spot. The driver of the trailer reportedly fled the scene with the truck.
The second crash occurred around 5:00 a.m. near the University of Lagos waterfront on the Third Mainland Bridge, inward Lagos Island. It involved an empty fuel tanker and a sachet-water delivery van with registration number SMK 67 XH. Two people were badly injured.
Officials of the Lagos State Ambulance Service gave the injured persons first aid before rushing them to a nearby hospital.
The combined effect of the crashes worsened an already heavy traffic situation, causing long queues on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway and Third Mainland Bridge. Many commuters waited for hours at bus stops as transport fares soared.
The General Manager of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, Olalekan Bakare-Oki, confirmed the crashes and the casualties. He described the incidents as avoidable, saying, “Both crashes were preventable tragedies.”
He also warned motorists against reckless speeding and ignoring traffic rules. According to him, officers of the police, LASTMA, and other emergency teams worked for hours to clear the wreckage and ease movement.
The bodies of the two deceased victims were evacuated, and the damaged vehicles were removed to restore traffic flow. Bakare-Oki sent condolences to the families and said LASTMA would continue round-the-clock surveillance to improve safety on Lagos roads.
