Kehinde Fajobi
A fatal accident on the Lagos Third Mainland Bridge on Monday, December 16, 2024, left one person dead and five others hospitalised.
The collision occurred at Ilubirin, inward Sura, around 6 a.m. and involved a J5 Ford bus (FKJ 724 YC), carrying pepper and perishable goods, and a Mercedes truck (FKJ 746 YC).
The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) reported that the J5 Ford bus suffered brake failure while speeding, causing the crash.
LASTMA officials and bystanders promptly initiated rescue operations, pulling four victims from the wreckage.
While three were rescued alive, one individual trapped in the bus succumbed to injuries.
Emergency response teams, including LASTMA, the Lagos Response Unit (LRU), the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), the Nigerian Police Force, and the Lagos State Ambulance Service (LASAMBUS), transported survivors to the General Hospital on Lagos Island for urgent care.
To ease traffic, LASTMA personnel cleared the accident scene, removing the damaged vehicles and spilled goods.
LASTMA General Manager Olalekan Bakare-Oki expressed condolences to the victim’s family and urged drivers to prioritise safety during the festive season.
“Drivers, especially those operating heavy-duty vehicles, must avoid excessive speeding and ensure their vehicles, particularly the braking systems, are in perfect working condition before any journey,” Bakare-Oki advised.
He reassured Lagos residents of LASTMA’s commitment to preventing road accidents and encouraged the public to report traffic incidents or breakdowns via the toll-free hotline: 0800 005 27862.