One killed, six injured in Lagos road crash

LASTMA said the driver of the truck involved the road crash fled the scene.

One person has died and six others sustained injuries in a road crash involving a commercial bus and an articulated truck along the Oworonsoki–Apapa Expressway in Lagos early Sunday.

The crash occurred at the New Castle Bus Stop inward Gbagada, according to the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA).

In a statement on Sunday, LASTMA spokesperson Adebayo Taofiq said the accident involved a Volkswagen commercial bus with registration number LSD 654 XY.

Mr Taofiq said the bus reportedly veered off course and rammed into a roadside culvert, causing a female passenger to be forcefully ejected onto the expressway.

“The impact forcefully ejected a female passenger onto the expressway, while six others sustained serious injuries, including multiple fractures,” he said.

He added that the woman was subsequently crushed by an oncoming articulated truck whose driver could not avoid hitting her, resulting in her immediate death.

According to the LASTMA spokesperson, six other occupants of the bus, including the driver, sustained serious injuries in the crash, while the truck driver fled the scene.

Mr Taofiq said LASTMA officials immediately activated emergency traffic management protocols and temporarily cordoned off the expressway to enable the safe evacuation of the victims and removal of the wreckage.

Personnel from the Nigeria Police Force’s Pedro Police Division were deployed to maintain order and support emergency operations.

Officials of the Lagos State Ambulance Service evacuated the injured victims, including the bus driver, to a nearby hospital for treatment.

The remains of the deceased were later removed by personnel of the Lagos State Environmental Health Monitoring Unit.

“Following the successful evacuation, LASTMA operatives cleared the corridor and restored normal traffic flow,” Mr Taofiq said.

The General Manager of LASTMA, Olalekan Bakare-Oki, expressed condolences to the family of the deceased and wished the injured passengers a quick recovery.

Crashes

The latest accident adds to a series of fatal road crashes recorded in Lagos in recent months.

On New Year’s Day, two people were killed and at least six others injured in separate crashes across Lagos, including a fatal collision between a Volkswagen commercial bus and a Toyota Sienna vehicle at Iyana Itire inward Oshodi, according to LASTMA.

Another incident that day occurred along the Ibeju Bridge inward Eleko on the Lekki–Ajah Expressway when a DAF tanker collided with an Opel Zafira car, leaving two persons critically injured.

Similarly, four people were injured in another crash involving a Volkswagen commercial bus and a Toyota Corolla at Owode Elede inward Owode-Onirin on the Ikorodu Road corridor.

Earlier in January, six worshippers were killed when a truck loaded with sharp sand rammed into a branch of the Redeemed Christian Church of God along Hospital Road in Epe shortly after an evening service.

Other fatal crashes have also been recorded along major highways, including the Lekki–Epe Expressway and the Lagos–Ibadan Expressway, where collisions involving heavy-duty trucks have resulted in multiple deaths.

Road safety authorities say excessive speeding, poor vehicle maintenance and reckless driving remain major causes of accidents across major transport corridors in Lagos.