A multiple-vehicle crash involving five articulated vehicles shut down the Kara Bridge on the outskirt of Lagos on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway occurred on Thursday, October 30.
The collision left at least four people dead including a police inspector while several people were injured.
The crash immediately triggered a major fire as a truck and a container-laden trailer burst into flames.
The severity of the impact was visible in the resulting damage: one truck scattered cartons of biscuits onto the road, while another container truck struck the bridge barrier, causing its cargo unit to fall into the river.
Lagos State Police Commissioner Moshood Jimoh confirmed the details and the extensive traffic congestion.
He added that emergency teams worked non-stop through the early hours to rescue victims and remove the wreckage.
“We have a case of multiple accidents at the border between Ogun and Lagos State. Five vehicles were involved, all articulated vehicles. Precisely, three people have been rescued from the scene of the accident.
“As early as 5 a.m., we have been on it, and we have other agencies here assisting us. We have LASTMA, the Road Safety Corps, and other security agencies,” Ishola said.
He said preliminary investigations showed the crash was caused by a trailer that suffered brake failure.
“At the beginning, we have a trailer that failed to brake, and it is important that everybody in charge of their vehicle ensures proper maintenance,” he said.
The commissioner also confirmed the death of one of his officers who was part of the police advance team deployed to the scene.
“It is very unfortunate that we lost one of our police inspectors who came with our advance team to salvage the situation,” he said.
Ishola cautioned motorists, particularly drivers of articulated vehicles, against reckless driving, which he described as a leading cause of fatal crashes on highways.
“We want road users, especially those driving articulated vehicles, to stop this kind of recklessness. If they are not reckless in their driving habit, we won’t have this kind of accident,” he warned.
Rescue operations involving the police, Federal Road Safety Corps, Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, and other agencies were still ongoing as of press time, while efforts to remove the damaged vehicles and restore traffic flow continued.
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