No fewer than five persons have been confirmed dead, while four others sustained injuries following an auto crash on Thursday on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.
The incident happened when an outbound Toyota Hiace bus conveying nine passengers rammed into a faulty and stationary truck beside Christopher University, killing five, while others sustained various degrees of injury.
Eyewitnesses said the bus, with registration number SPR 373 XA, attempted to overtake another truck marked DAF GGE 468 XX, but its steering got locked in the process and it rammed the faulty truck.
The crash was coming a day after a tanker rammed into a truck laden with granite at Kara inbound Lagos, when the driver of the truck suddenly made a detour, leading to severe gridlock that lasted for hours on the road.
Official of Ogun State Traffic Agency (TRACE), who confirmed the story, said rescue team involving TRACE, the police and officials of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) got to the accident scene to discover that only four of persons were alive, with others critically injured.
TRACE Corps Commander/CEO, ‘Seni Ogunyemi, said the victims were three males and two females, adding that the injured were rescued and taken to Idera Hospital, while the bodies of the victims were deposited at Idera private morgue.
While commiserating with the family of the victims, he cautioned drivers to observe speed limit. He further advised motorists to avoid reckless driving, stressing that wrong overtaking should be avoided. He said: “A reasonable driver should take extra care and ensure the road is clear before overtaking vehicles.
“I am using this opportunity to warn owners of truck parked haphazardly on the roadsides to remove them immediately. These also constitute causes of accident.
“I have directed all TRACE Area Commanders to ensure our operatives are on the road enforcing this directive and also see to traffic flow on our roads.”
