Two killed in Lagos, Ogun auto crashes

A commercial motorcyclist and a driver lost their lives in separate road crashes that occurred in Lagos and Ogun states on Tuesday night and Wednesday morning.

PUNCH Metro learnt that the accident in Lagos occurred in the Apapa area of the state while the accident in Ogun happened at the Car Park C area of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.

The spokesperson for the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, Adebayo Taofiq, in a statement on Wednesday, noted that the reckless driving by a truck driver led to a collision with the commercial motorcyclists.

The impact of the collision was said to have led to the immediate death of the motorcyclist.

He said, “The unfortunate incident, attributed to reckless driving by the Dangote truck driver, led to the immediate death of the motorcyclist at the scene.

“The collision, which occurred in the early hours, was a result of the truck driver losing control due to dangerous driving. The truck struck the motorcyclist, who had a female passenger on board.”

He added that the female passenger being conveyed by the motorcyclist however sustained injuries and was taken to the nearest hospital while the truck driver and his assistant fled the scene.

“Despite the intensity of the crash, LASTMA officials quickly intervened, rescuing the severely injured passenger and rushed her to the Apapa General Hospital for urgent medical attention.

“Both the truck driver and his assistant fled the scene, abandoning the vehicle. In coordination with the Area B Police Station, LASTMA officers secured and removed the truck, handing it over to the police for further investigation,” Taofiq stated.

In the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway crash, a driver who was driving alone crashed into a moving truck along the Car Park C section of the expressway.

The driver was suspected to have been sleeping on the wheel when he lost control and rammed into the moving truck.

The spokesperson for the Ogun State Traffic Enforcement and Compliance Agency, Babatunde Akinbiyi, said the accident was caused by excessive speed and possible fatigue.

He narrated, “Eyewitness accounts indicate that the driver was speeding and most likely dozed off. The Mazda bus, fully loaded with potatoes, was en route to Lagos for early morning delivery.

“Sadly, he lost control and rammed into a moving Dangote truck from behind. The driver died on the spot, having been trapped in the wreckage before he was eventually extricated.”

Both Taofiq and Akinbiyi condoled with the families of the deceased while urging motorists, commercial motorcyclists and truck drivers to always exercise caution while driving on the highway.