A truck driver has been hospitalised following an accident that left motorists plying the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway stranded for several hours on Wednesday.
PUNCH Metro correspondents, who monitored activities around the area, gathered that the accident occurred when two trucks whose drivers were contesting the right of way, collided at the Otedola Bridge section of the expressway.
The impact of the collision caused one of the trucks, which was loaded with wheat, to spill its contents on the road, obstructing traffic and leaving several motorists stranded.
Our correspondent observed that the resultant gridlock, which lasted for about seven hours, stretched from Otedola Bridge towards the Iyana-Oworo section of the expressway.
However, officials of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority were seen managing the traffic situation while making efforts to remove the accident vehicles from the road.
An eyewitness, Kunle Abiodun, told our correspondent that the drivers of the trucks were trying to manoeuvre their vehicles when one of them lost control, leading to the collision.
Abiodun said, “I was not far when the incident happened. The drivers were trying to contest the way with each other when they lost control and collided. One of the trucks was damaged in the process, and one person was injured.”
A motorist who identified himself simply as Wale lamented the frequent accidents along the corridor, adding that the sloping nature of that section of the expressway might have been a contributing factor.
“I think because this road is sloping, there are recurring accidents here, as most drivers do not often control their speed whenever they are approaching this place. It is motorists who suffer from the gridlock. I spent about two hours from Iyana-Oworo to the Secretariat Bus Stop,” Wale said.
Our correspondents also observed that the gridlock spread towards the stretch of the Secretariat bus-stop, CMD road and Dr Nurudeen Olowopopo Avenue.
A team of police operatives and LASTMA officials was also seen controlling the traffic at the scene of the accident.
One of the officials who spoke to our correspondent on the condition of anonymity, as he was not permitted to speak, said the influx of vehicles connecting the Berger end compounded the traffic.
“Aside from the accident, a combination of vehicles moving into Berger on the expressway and the ones connecting the expressway from the Otedola Bridge under the bridge has further compounded the traffic. That is why we had to stay here to stay at this point to control how they alternate their movement into Berger,” the official said.
A motorist who identified himself simply as Ajose lamented that the traffic disrupted his plans.
He said, “I am heading somewhere very important, but I regret not checking my Google Maps before leaving. Now, I am late for the appointment, and I can’t go back either.”
“I don’t have anything to say other than the government should just find a solution to these avoidable truck accidents on major highways,” a frustrated motorist who did bother to mention his name disclosed.
When contacted for a reaction, the LASTMA spokesperson, Adebayo Taofiq, confirmed in a statement on Wednesday that the injured driver was rescued by the agency’s operatives and personnel from the Federal Road Safety Corps.
He said, “In a tragic yet wholly preventable accident that once again underscores the perils of recklessness and the perennial struggle for the right of way among motorists, operatives of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority executed a swift and coordinated emergency intervention following a grave collision between two heavy-duty vehicles along Otedola Bridge, inward Berger–Ojodu corridor, Lagos.
“The accident, which involved a 14-tyre Scania truck laden with tonnes of wheat and a six-tyre Iveco mini-truck transporting cartons of Gala sausage rolls, occurred when both vehicles reportedly engaged in a perilous contest for the right of way.
“The ensuing impact was violent, resulting in significant vehicular damage and the severe injury of one of the drivers. The driver of the 14-tyre Scania truck sustained grievous injuries to both legs and the head.”
He added that the nature of the incident led to a partial closure of that section of the expressway before the “deployment of heavy-duty recovery machinery to complete the transloading and evacuation processes safely.”
Taofiq quoted the agency’s General Manager, Olalekan Bakare-Oki, as lamenting the incessant recklessness of drivers who engage in dangerous manoeuvres and unlawful competition for the right of way.
“He lamented the persistent indiscipline and blatant disregard for road safety regulations exhibited by some motorists, reiterating that LASTMA remains unwavering in its commitment to enforcing traffic laws, safeguarding human lives, and ensuring orderliness across Lagos roads.
“Mr Bakare-Oki further commended the professionalism, courage, and rapid response demonstrated by the LASTMA Rescue Team during the operation,” Taofiq concluded