One dead, one injured as LASEMA handles three Lagos road emergencies
- A motor assistant died in Epe when two granite-laden tipper trucks collided on Saturday morning.
- A Camry driver was injured after ramming a fuel-starved Venza on Odo-Iyalaro Bridge on Friday night.
- A broken-down truck blocked part of the road at Mushin, but no one was hurt there.
A motor assistant has died and a driver was injured in three separate road emergencies that the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) handled overnight and early on Saturday.
The deadliest was at Oke-Oso, inward Itokin, in Epe. LASEMA said two tipper trucks loaded with granite collided at about 6:19am. One truck, with registration number ABG-226XB, reportedly suffered brake failure, lost control and sideswiped the other.
The impact threw the motor assistant out of the first truck and he died on the spot. LASEMA's Whales Response Team, stationed in Epe, recovered the body, bagged it and handed it to the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC). Both trucks were taken to the FRSC office.
Two other incidents on Friday night
Earlier, at about 7:58pm on Friday, LASEMA's Tiger Response Team went to Odo-Iyalaro Bridge, inward Maryland, where a Toyota Camry (AGL-70HU) rammed into a Toyota Venza (FST-893KF).
According to the agency, the Venza had stopped by the roadside after running out of fuel. The Camry driver was suspected to have been driving under the influence of alcohol, LASEMA said. He was injured, treated at the scene by LASEMA paramedics and the Lagos State Ambulance Service (LASAMBUS), and taken to the Trauma Centre. Both vehicles were towed to Area F Police Station and the bridge was reopened.
The third incident was at Olosha, Mushin, at about 10:36pm on Friday. A HOWO truck (JJJ-293XZ) got stuck on a damaged section of road and blocked about 60 per cent of the carriageway. No one was hurt. LASEMA diverted traffic and used its heavy-duty equipment, Super Metro, to move the truck to a lay-by, and normal movement resumed.
What happens next
LASEMA Permanent Secretary Dr Olufemi Damilola Oke-Osanyintolu condoled with the family of the deceased and urged motorists to check the condition of their vehicles, avoid driving after drinking and obey road safety rules.
The agency asked residents to report emergencies on its toll-free lines, 767 and 112.
For commuters, the incidents are a reminder that breakdowns and brake problems on Lagos roads can quickly turn into blocked routes or worse, especially on busy bridges and truck-heavy corridors like Epe.
