Gridlock grounds Lagos-Ibadan Expressway as driver dies in crash

Motorists on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway were, on Wednesday, confronted with a debilitating gridlock after a yet-to-be-identified truck driver lost his life in an accident involving a 40ft container truck on the Kara Bridge of the road.

The Permanent Secretary of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, Damilola Oke-Osanyitolu, confirmed the incident in a statement on Wednesday.

According to him, the incident completely obstructed vehicular movement along the axis.

The statement partly read, “Following distress calls received via the CRM on the 767/112 Emergency Toll-Free Lines at 4:26 am, the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency activated the State’s Emergency Response Plans and its Response Team from Command and Control Centre, Alausa, Ikeja.

“Upon arrival at the incident scene, LASEMA’s Tiger Response Team discovered that a truck, registration unknown, laden with several rolls of coils of steel and a 40ft container without its head, were found to have been involved in a road accident thereby completely obstructing vehicular movement at the aforementioned location.”

The LASEMA boss who revealed the cause of the incident said the truck driver was in motion when he lost control while trying to avoid another truck, resulting in the discharge of its cargo.

He noted that the corpse of the truck driver was evacuated before the arrival of the agency’s personnel.

“Investigation conducted by the agency’s Response Team revealed that the articulated truck driver, who was in motion, in a bid to avoid collision with the 40-foot container on the road lost control and fell on its side resulting in the discharge of its cargo (coils of steel) on the carriageway.

“An unidentified adult male driver lost his life to the incident and the body had been taken away before arrival of the agency’s Response Team.”

He further disclosed that emergency responders could recover the impediments off the road, adding that the operation was carried out with the collaborative efforts of the Federal Road Safety Corps and the police.

Meanwhile, The Punch gathered that another accident involving three vehicles occurred in the area where four individuals sustained varying degrees of injuries.

It was observed on Wednesday afternoon, vehicular activities moved slowly from the Otedola bridge to the OPIC end of the road.