Thursday, February 12, 2026 - A male motorist has lost his life, while his wife sustained critical injuries following a fatal road traffic accident involving a granite-laden articulated truck and a Toyota saloon car at Eleko Junction along the Lekki–Ajah Expressway in Lagos State.
The tragic incident occurred early on Thursday and prompted
an immediate emergency response from operatives of the Lagos State Traffic
Management Authority (LASTMA).
According to witnesses, the articulated truck, which was
heavily loaded with granite and reportedly travelling at high speed from the
Epe axis, was approaching Eleko Junction when it suffered a sudden brake
failure.
The mechanical fault caused the driver to lose control of
the vehicle, forcing it off its lane and into the path of a Toyota saloon car
travelling from Ajah inward Epe.
The impact was described as forceful, with the truck
overturning and landing directly on the smaller vehicle, crushing it under its
weight.
Authoritative reports indicated that the driver of the
Toyota saloon car became trapped inside the wreckage.
Through a coordinated rescue effort involving LASTMA
officials, personnel of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) and assistance
from public-spirited bystanders, the victim was eventually extricated from the
mangled vehicle.
He was, however, pronounced dead at the scene.
His wife, who was seated in the front passenger seat at the
time of the crash, sustained life-threatening injuries and was rescued alive.
Both the remains of the deceased and the injured woman were
evacuated from the scene by an FRSC ambulance for necessary medical and
mortuary procedures.
Meanwhile, the driver of the articulated truck reportedly
fled the scene immediately after the victim was recovered, evading
responsibility and lawful accountability.
Security reinforcement at the accident scene was provided by
operatives of the Akodo Police Division, who maintained order and ensured
safety throughout the rescue and recovery operations.
Reacting to the incident, the General Manager of LASTMA, Mr.
Olalekan Bakare-Oki, expressed deep sorrow over the loss of life, describing
the crash as a painful and avoidable tragedy.
“This unfortunate incident is deeply distressing and
preventable,” Bakare-Oki said, while extending heartfelt condolences to the
bereaved family.
He also offered prayers for the speedy and full recovery of
the injured spouse and reaffirmed LASTMA’s commitment to enforcing traffic
regulations, particularly against reckless driving, mechanical negligence and
other serious violations of road safety laws.
In a related incident later the same day, a 33,000-litre
fuel tanker caught fire around midnight at Ile-Zik inward Magboro along the
Lagos–Abeokuta Expressway.
LASTMA’s Rescue Team, working in collaboration with the
Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, responded promptly and succeeded in
containing and extinguishing the fire before it escalated into a major
disaster.
To facilitate emergency operations and ensure public safety,
traffic was temporarily diverted into the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) corridor by
LASTMA officials. The affected section of the road was reopened to motorists
after firefighting and recovery efforts were concluded.
The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority reiterated its
commitment to protecting lives and property on Lagos roads and urged motorists
to adhere strictly to traffic rules, ensure vehicle roadworthiness and exercise
caution at all times.
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