A tricyclist lost his life on Wednesday morning after a truck rammed into three vehicles at Ekoro Junction along the Abule-Egba/Command Road in Lagos.
Eyewitnesses told PUNCH Metro that the tragic incident occurred when the truck lost control and collided with a tricycle and two other vehicles.
An eyewitness identified simply as Abiodun said the crash happened in the early hours of the day, noting that the impact of the collision was devastating.
According to him, “A ghastly accident occurred this morning, and it was a terrible sight. A trailer lost its brakes and rammed into a tricycle and two other vehicles at Ekoro Junction. The trailer crushed the tricyclist’s head, while about three others were severely injured. It was the police and LASTMA officers who came to evacuate the body and rescue the injured.”
A police officer who spoke on condition of anonymity confirmed that the deceased was the tricycle operator, while the injured were drivers of the other two vehicles involved.
In a statement confirming the incident, the spokesperson for the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), Adebayo Taofiq, said preliminary findings showed that the accident was caused by a brake failure.
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According to him, the vehicles involved included a six-tyre trailer with registration number AGL 514 XD, a Honda Pilot (FST 992 DV), a Toyota Camry (EKY 753 JA), and an unregistered tricycle.
Taofiq explained, “Preliminary investigations by security operatives revealed that the accident was triggered by a mechanical brake failure in the fully loaded trailer, whose driver consequently lost control of the vehicle.
“The trailer, in its uncontrollable descent, crushed the tricycle beyond recognition before colliding with a Honda Pilot, vaulting over the median, and smashing into a Toyota Camry and nearby property on the opposite lane.
“Operatives of LASTMA arrived at the scene promptly, rescuing two severely trapped victims after confirming the instantaneous death of the tricycle operator. The scene was cordoned off to prevent secondary incidents and allow for emergency operations.”
He added that the crash caused a temporary traffic gridlock, which was later cleared by LASTMA officers who diverted vehicles to ease movement.
Reacting to the development, the General Manager of LASTMA, Olalekan Bakare-Oki, described the crash as both “tragic and preventable,” lamenting that it could have been avoided with stricter adherence to safety regulations.
According to him, “Mr. Bakare-Oki extends his heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family of the deceased tricycle operator and prays for the swift recovery of the injured victims. He further admonishes all motorists, particularly operators of articulated and heavy-duty vehicles, to exercise utmost caution, ensure frequent mechanical inspections, and observe all safety protocols, stressing that reckless driving and mechanical negligence remain leading causes of preventable road tragedies in Lagos State.”
Similarly, the Permanent Secretary of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, disclosed that the truck was carrying beverages and bottled water when it toppled onto the tricycle parked by the roadside.
He said, “Upon arrival of LRT at the incident scene, a Volkswagen truck registration number AGL 514 XD, laden with beverages and bottled water, was found to have fallen on a tricycle AKA Keke NAPEP, at the above-mentioned location.
“Preliminary investigations conducted at the scene of the incident revealed that the truck suddenly suffered a mechanical error (brake failure) while descending the road, and all efforts by the driver to stop the truck proved abortive. Unfortunately, an adult male, driver of the tricycle, lost his life to the incident when the truck crashed into the parked tricycle and two other cars with unknown registration numbers.”
The tragic event adds to a growing list of fatal road crashes involving trucks and trailers in various parts of the country in recent months.