IBRAHIM QUADRI
Tragedy occurred on Monday at Ayetoro in Epe as three individuals were feared dead when a Dangote truck (DCG-TM-028) collided with a tricycle (Marwa AGL 442 QC) and a stationary Toyota Camry beside a traffic light in the vicinity.
The truck which experienced a brake failure while descending from Ita-Opo lost control and colliding on the other two vehicles, according to a release by the Director, Public Affairs and Enlightenment Department, LASTMA, Adebayo Taofiq
According to him, the collision resulted in the fatalities of the tricycle driver and two students from Manpower Technical School.
First responders from the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), with the assistance of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) later arrived at the scene to secure the area.
The deceased were thereafter transported to the Epe General Hospital mortuary.
Prompt efforts were made to clear the wreckage, including the Dangote truck, to alleviate traffic congestion and safeguard other road users.
In a separate but related incident, another accident was reported at Ijaye inward Abule-Egba.
The crash involved an LT Bus (FKJ 762 AD) and a Toyota Hiace Bus (MUS 154 YE), attributed once again to brake system failure. LASTMA personnel acted swiftly, extricating the driver and two passengers, who were then urgently conveyed to a nearby medical facility for treatment.
Additionally, LASTMA officers successfully rescued three individuals — two females and one male — from a multi-vehicle collision at Tsunami Bridge, inward Ketu.
This accident, involving two Volkswagen commercial buses (LSD 483 CT & AGL 267) and a 10-tyre DAF truck, left victims with varied degree of injuries. They were promptly transported to a nearby hospital for immediate medical intervention, while officers from Alapere Police Station provided essential security support during the rescue operations.
LASTMA General Manager, Mr. Olalekan Bakare-Oki reiterated the importance of vehicular maintenance.
He implored all motorists to diligently ensure that their vehicles, particularly the braking systems, are in optimal condition before setting out on any journey.
similarly, Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Abia Sector Command, has confirmed the death of two persons, while 10 others were injured in a road traffic crash on Enugu-Port Harcourt expressway.
The Sector Commander, Mrs. Ngozi Ezeoma, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Umuahia on Monday that the crash occurred at the Ntigha junction axis of the expressway on Sunday at 5:02 p.m.
Ezeoma said that the command was informed of the crash at approximately 5:07 p.m while the response team arrived at the scene within five minutes.
She said that preliminary investigation suggested that the accident might have occurred due to burst tyre.
Ezeoma said that FRSC Crash Investigation experts would further analyse the crash to identify likely contributory factors.
She said that the accident was a lone crash involving a green-coloured Toyota Hiace bus conveying 16 passengers, consisting of 15 male adults and one female adult from Enugu.
Ezeoma said that the bus belonged to Church of Christ, quoting one of the uninjured victims as saying that they were coming from a crusade in Enugu.
She said that of the 16 occupants of the bus, 10 were injured (one female adult and nine male adults).
”One of the accident victims died on the spot, while the other person was rushed to Central Medical Centre, Mbawsi, by FRSC officials where he later passed away.
“This made the death toll to be two male adults, while the other accident victims were taken to FMC,” she said.
The sector commander urged drivers to regularly check their tyres to ensure they were neither expired, worn-out, over-inflated, nor under-inflated.
She sympathised with the injured victims and commiserated with the families of the deceased.
Ezeoma restated the command’s determination to ensure safety on the roads and continually sensitise road users on the need to comply with road safety rules and regulations.
