Barely 48 hours after two people died in an accident in the Ososa area of Ogun State, a truck driver and his passenger lost their lives in an accident that occurred along the Otedola Bridge section of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.

This is just as two others sustained varying degrees of injuries in an accident that occurred on the UNILAG waterfront inward the Third-Mainland Bridge area of Lagos State.

PUNCH Metro learnt on Monday from the spokesperson for the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, Adebayo Taofiq, that the accidents occurred in the early hours of Monday.

Taofiq noted that the accident on the Otedola Bridge occurred at about 2:30 a.m. when a truck rammed into a trailer from the rear.

The impact of the collision led to the death of the two occupants of the truck.

He stated, “Preliminary intelligence from the Otedola Bridge incident reveals that an unregistered vehicle, bearing two occupants, including the driver, was travelling at an unlawful and hazardous velocity when it collided with tremendous force into a moving heavily-laden trailer at approximately 2:30 a.m.

“The sheer violence of the impact proved fatal, culminating in the instantaneous demise of both occupants. In a disturbing twist, the operator of the involved trailer absconded from the scene with the articulated vehicle.

“LASTMA’s 24-Hour Night-Gang Teams strategically deployed within the Otedola corridor for midnight nocturnal surveillance and preemptive traffic control responded with exemplary alacrity. The deceased victims were respectfully evacuated from the primary carriageway to avert consequential dangers, after which the mangled vehicle was meticulously extricated from the expressway.”

He added that the accident at the UNILAG Waterfront occurred at about 5 a.m. when an empty tanker and a sachet water distribution truck collided.

“The accident, involving an empty tanker and a pure-water distribution van (SMK 67 XH), resulted in severe injuries to two individuals.

“The victims received prompt first-aid stabilisation from the Lagos State Ambulance Service before being transported to a nearby medical facility for further critical treatment.

“Despite the distressing nature of both occurrences, LASTMA officers maintained unwavering vigilance and continued to meticulously regulate traffic along both corridors, ensuring the safety of unsuspecting motorists and preventing additional operational hazards.”

Reacting to the incidents, the LASTMA General Manager, Olalekan Bakare-Oki, expressed deep condolences to the bereaved families and lamented the “tragic and wholly preventable loss of life brought about by reckless speeding and brazen disregard for established road safety norms.”

“He reiterated the Agency’s firm and uncompromising insistence on adherence to government-prescribed speed limits, underscoring that such compliance is indispensable for the preservation of human life and the avoidance of catastrophic, avoidable tragedies.

“Bakare-Oki further extolled the diligence, professionalism, and swift intervention demonstrated by the LASTMA Night-Gang Teams, affirming that the Agency’s uninterrupted 24-hour surveillance, rapid-response capabilities, and lifesaving operational frameworks across Lagos State will continue to be executed with unwavering vigour into the forthcoming year, consonant with the Lagos State Government’s resolute commitment to public safety and orderly mobility,” Taofiq concluded.

PUNCH Metro reported on Monday that two people lost their lives after a bus driving against traffic rammed into a truck along the Ososa section of the Sagamu–Benin Expressway.

The spokesperson for the Ogun State Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Agency, Babatunde Akinbiyi, had noted that 21 people were involved in the crash, which featured a yellow Toyota Hiace bus with number plate BDG 274YG and a blue Benz truck with number plate AKD 115YL.