A fatal multiple-vehicle collision early Friday on Kara Bridge, inward Mowe/Ibafo along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, left one person dead, several injured, and hundreds of motorists stranded, disrupting economic activities.
According to the Lagos Sector Command of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), the crash occurred around 12:05 a.m. on the outbound carriageway towards Ibadan. It involved five articulated trucks and a Toyota Sienna.
“Preliminary investigation indicates that the crash resulted from speed violation and loss of control,” the Sector Public Education Officer, Elizabeth Jayeola, said in a statement.
She said, “A total of seven adult males were involved in the crash. One person lost his life and one sustained injuries, while five others escaped unhurt.”
According to her, as the rescue and recovery operations were ongoing, another crash occurred at about 3:15 a.m. on the inbound carriageway towards Lagos involving a Mazda commercial bus.
“The lone crash was caused by brake failure, leaving the driver seriously injured,” she said, but noted that the driver was promptly rescued by the FRSC emergency response team and taken to the Lagos State Accident and Emergency Centre for medical treatment.
When Channels Television visited the scene, Lagos State Traffic Management Agency (LASTMA) officials, FRSC officials, officials of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), and police operatives were on the ground to manage the situation. Tow trucks were also present as officials continued recovery operations.
Due to the crash, there is a significant traffic backlog extending to Otedola Bridge and beyond. The gridlock has also affected the Isheri-Olowora axis and Ogunusi Road.
Commuters and motorists, including articulated vehicles, were left stranded following the accident. Many people heading inward and outward from Lagos were seen trekking to their destinations, while vehicles remained at a standstill on the ever-busy road.
Others tried to use commercial motorcycles, better known as “okada”, to bypass the gridlock. Economic activities were also halted on the major route linking Nigeria’s economic hub, Lagos, with the rest of the country.
“To ease movement, officials have temporarily opened one-way traffic from Berger down to OPIC Turning,” LASTMA said in a statement on its X handle.
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The FRSC advised motorists to use alternative routes where possible to avoid delays from the Kara-Ojodu Berger corridor until recovery operations are completed.
It said motorists travelling outward from Lagos towards Ibadan may divert through the Ikorodu-Sagamu route. Those heading into Lagos are advised to consider alternative entry routes through the Lekki-Epe Expressway or the Ikorodu-Sagamu Expressway.
The accident is the latest in the long list of crashes on the route, especially the Kara Bridge axis. Authorities have blamed reckless driving, among other factors, for such incidents.
