Five injured as truck, bus collide on Lagos road

No fewer than five people escaped death early Wednesday morning after a commercial bus heading for Victoria Island, Lagos State, ran into a 40-feet articulated truck that crashed into a kerb on the Oworonshoki Expressway.

They were said to have been rushed to an undisclosed hospital in the area.

PUNCH Metro learnt that the accident happened after the driver of the truck with number plate, Lagos FST 180 XC, climbed a kerb on the road.

The container on it was said to have fallen off due to the impact, while an oncoming commercial bus, with number plate, Lagos XP 20 SMK, rammed into it. Continue..

The passengers were said to have been flung into a swamp at the junction.

An official of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, who was part of the rescue operation, said two towing vans had to be deployed in the accident scene.

He said, “It occurred between 3am and 4am. It was LASTMA officials on night duty that started the rescue before others joined this morning. I am aware that those injured have been taken to the hospital.”

A resident of the area, Kunle Bodurin, said he was woken up by the noise of the accident around 3.30am.

He added that policemen from the Oworonsoki and Bariga divisions, officials of the Federal Road Safety Corps and LASTMA, started arriving at 5am to control the traffic.

PUNCH Metro learnt that the accident caused gridlock which spanned to the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.

A crowd of stranded commuters were said to have began trekking to their various destinations after traffic was at a standstill for several hours.

The General Secretary of the Oworonski Youth Forum, Babajide Kabiawu, said ghastly accidents were becoming normal on the road owing to lack of a sign board.

He said, “For the past 20 to 25 years, we have been experiencing frequent accidents of this nature. In fact, they usually come with heavy fatalities.

“The issue is that motorists coming from the Berger/Toll Gate area, and heading for either Oshodi or the Third Mainland Bridge, have to divert at the Oworonshoki Road.

“But before the divergent point, there is no signpost to tell them to reduce their speed or to warn that they were approaching the divergent point. 

“So it is at the point that they suddenly realise they have to turn either to the right or left. Most times, they end up climbing the kerb. That was what happened to the 40-feet truck this morning.”

The Assistant General Secretary, Ibukun-Oluwa Community Development Association, Sunday Olu-Oyawole, appealed to the government to urgently look into the matter to end avoidable deaths on the road.

“One happened last year and a truck driver, who was conveying a load of charcoals, died instantly.

“We have been making reports and writing letters to the state and federal governments to do something, but they have not done anything.”

The Chairman of the Local Government Service Commission, Mr. Busayo Adebayo, said most of the accidents happen because motorists miss the divergent point.

“The road is well constructed as you can see, but I think they need a sign board. Many people have died on that road because of this thing. Drivers who miss the divergent point crush people at the bus stop or cause multiple accidents. I hope the state and federal governments will do something about it,” he said.