At least eight persons, including a police inspector, have been confirmed dead in a multiple-vehicle crash involving five articulated trucks on Kara Bridge, inward Mowe, along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.
The Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Moshood Jimoh, who confirmed the incident on Thursday at the accident scene.
“We have a case of multiple accident at the border between Ogun and Lagos State,” Ishola told journalists.
“Five vehicles were involved, all articulated vehicles. Precisely, three people have been rescued from the scene of the accident. As early as 5 a.m., we have been on it, and we have other agencies here assisting us. We have LASTMA, the Road Safety Corps, and other security agencies.”
According to him, preliminary investigations revealed that the accident was caused by a trailer that suffered brake failure.
“At the beginning, we have a trailer that failed brake, and it is important that everybody in charge of their vehicle ensures proper maintenance,” he said.
The commissioner also confirmed the death of one of his men who was part of the police advance team responding to the incident.
“It’s very unfortunate that we lost one of our police inspectors that came with our advance team to salvage the situation,” Ishola said.
He cautioned motorists, particularly drivers of articulated vehicles, against reckless driving, which he blamed for most fatal road crashes.
“We want road users, especially those driving articulated vehicles, to stop this kind of recklessness. If they are not reckless in their driving habit, we won’t have this kind of accident,” he warned.
Rescue operations by the police, Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), and other agencies were still ongoing as of press time.
