Four-vehicle crash causes heavy traffic on Lagos Apapa-Oshodi Expressway

A four-vehicle collision has caused significant traffic disruption along the Apapa-Oshodi Expressway in Lagos State.

The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, LASTMA, said the accident occurred on Tuesday at Cele Express, inward to Mile 2.

The agency identified the vehicles involved as a Hilux van, a container-laden heavy-duty truck, a patrol van and a Toyota car.

It attributed the crash to a suspected mechanical failure, particularly a possible brake malfunction, adding that an unconfirmed number of victims had been taken to hospital.

In a statement posted on X, LASTMA said, “A multiple accident occasioned by mechanical fault/brake failure involving a Hilux van, a containerised heavy-duty truck, a Patrol van, and a Toyota car occurred at Cele Express inward Mile 2 along the Apapa Oshodi Express Way, resulting in an unconfirmed number of casualties who have been rushed to the hospital.”

LASTMA said its personnel had been deployed to strategic locations along the expressway to guide motorists and redirect traffic through alternative routes in a bid to prevent further incidents.

The agency also advised drivers to exercise caution while using the road.

The accident occurred days after a separate crash involving a truck and a commercial bus on Alaro City Bridge, inward T-Junction, Epe, claimed four lives and left 13 other people critically injured.

LASTMA spokesperson, Adebayo Taofiq, disclosed in a statement issued on October 28 that the truck driver also suffered severe injuries, with both legs trapped in the wreckage and subsequently lost.

According to the agency, preliminary accounts suggested that the truck crashed into the fully occupied commercial bus as both vehicles were crossing the single-lane bridge, leaving several passengers trapped in the wreckage.

The Lagos State Ambulance Service, LASAMBUS, transported the 13 injured passengers to a nearby medical facility for emergency treatment.

LASTMA officials, working alongside the Federal Road Safety Corps, FRSC, evacuated the bodies of the deceased to a mortuary, while officers from the Epe Police Division provided security during the rescue and emergency operations.

The agency’s General Manager, Olalekan Bakare-Oki, commiserated with the families of those who died and wished the injured victims a quick recovery.

He called on motorists to drive carefully, obey traffic regulations and exercise extra caution when approaching bridges, narrow roads and other locations where limited road space could heighten the risk of accidents.