A tricycle operator was killed and two others injured in a multiple-vehicle crash that occurred on Wednesday at Ekoro Junction, inward Ile-Iwe, in Lagos State.
According to the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), the collision involved a six-tyre trailer, a Honda Pilot, a Toyota Camry, and an unregistered tricycle.
In a separate statement posted on X (formerly Twitter) on Wednesday, Adebayo Taofiq, LASTMA’s Director of Public Affairs and Enlightenment Department, explained that the crash happened after the fully loaded trailer suffered brake failure and lost control, crushing the tricycle before colliding with the other vehicles.
“Preliminary investigations by security operatives revealed that the calamity was triggered by a mechanical brake failure in the fully loaded trailer, whose driver consequently lost operational control of the vehicle.
“The trailer, in its uncontrollable descent, crushed the tricycle beyond recognition before colliding with a Honda Pilot and eventually vaulting over the median to smash into a Toyota Camry and adjacent property on the opposing lane,” the statement read.
Taofiq said LASTMA personnel arrived promptly at the scene, rescuing two trapped victims and confirming that the tricycle operator had died instantly.
“They promptly rescued two severely trapped victims after confirming the instantaneous death of the tricycle operator. The accident scene was immediately cordoned off to forestall secondary incidents and facilitate a seamless emergency operation.
“Upon securing the area, LASTMA personnel swiftly notified relevant emergency agencies, including operatives of the Nigeria Police Force and the State Environmental Health Monitoring Unit (SHEMU).
“Thereafter, security officers from the Ile-Epo Police Division conveyed the deceased tricycle operator, alongside the two critically injured survivors, to the General Hospital, Ile-Epo, for urgent medical attention and proper documentation,” the statement added.
During rescue operations, traffic was diverted through Iyana-Meran and Ajasa Command to ease congestion, while the damaged vehicles were later towed to the police station for further investigation.
The General Manager of LASTMA, Mr. Olalekan Bakare-Oki, described the incident as tragic but preventable, attributing it to poor vehicle maintenance and disregard for speed regulations.
He extended his condolences to the family of the deceased and urged heavy-duty vehicle operators to conduct regular mechanical checks to prevent similar tragedies.
PUNCH Online had earlier reported that one person died and four others sustained varying degrees of injuries in two separate accidents that occurred on Sunday night at Oniru, Lagos State, and the Saapade axis of the Lagos–Ibadan Expressway.
It was gathered that the first crash in Oniru occurred around 11:46 p.m. and involved a lone Nissan Saloon car with the number plate LND 738 FQ.
The Permanent Secretary of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, in a statement on Monday, disclosed that the accident occurred when one of the vehicles developed a brake failure and somersaulted.
