Four people have sustained critical injuries after a multiple-vehicle crash at First Gate, inward Mile 2, Lagos, involving a Mack truck, another truck, a commercial bus and nine commercial motorcyclists.
A statement by the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, LASTMA, said the driver of the Mack truck, which was conveying a fully laden 40-foot container, was apprehended by operatives of the agency after the crash.
Other vehicles involved were a truck conveying a 20-foot container and a T4 commercial bus with registration number AAA 723 YF. The nine commercial motorcyclists were reportedly operating on a restricted highway.
According to preliminary findings, the crash was caused by suspected brake failure in the Mack truck, which led the driver to lose control before the vehicle violently collided with the 20-foot container truck, the commercial bus and the nine motorcyclists in a chain-reaction crash.
Four victims, comprising three males and one female, sustained critical injuries, including multiple fractures to their arms and legs, requiring immediate rescue and urgent medical attention.
LASTMA operatives conducting routine traffic management operations in the area responded promptly and commenced emergency traffic control, rescue and incident management operations.
The injured victims were rescued from the scene by LASTMA officers and handed over to security personnel from the Roro Police Division, who took them to a nearby hospital for urgent medical treatment.
The agency also secured the scene and facilitated the removal of damaged vehicles and other obstructions to reduce traffic disruption and restore normal movement along the corridor.
The Mack truck driver and the other drivers involved in the crash were handed over to the police for further investigation and possible prosecution, subject to the outcome of the investigation.
The General Manager of LASTMA, Mr Olalekan Bakare-Oki, sympathised with the injured victims and their families and wished them a swift and complete recovery.
Bakare-Oki also expressed concern over the continued use of commercial motorcycles on restricted highways, particularly on busy roads where their vulnerability around articulated and other heavy-duty vehicles could worsen the consequences of crashes.
He urged motorists, commercial transport operators and other road users to exercise caution, obey traffic regulations and ensure that vehicles undergo regular and thorough mechanical inspections before being deployed on the roads.
“Operators of articulated vehicles, in particular, must accord meticulous attention to the condition of their braking systems, tyres, steering mechanisms and other safety-critical components before embarking on any journey. Mechanical roadworthiness is not merely a regulatory requirement; it is an indispensable safeguard for the preservation of human lives,” Bakare-Oki said.
The LASTMA boss further stressed that compliance with traffic regulations remained essential to reducing avoidable crashes, particularly on major transport corridors with heavy vehicular and commercial activity.
