A young child and two adults were killed on Friday afternoon when a runaway articulated truck lost control and ploughed into a crowd of commuters waiting to board a bus at the Toll-Gate area of the Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway in Ogun State.
Three people, including a toddler, were killed at the Toll-Gate area of the Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway after the articulated truck lost control and rammed into waiting commuters. Babatunde Akinbiyi, spokesperson for the Ogun State Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Agency (TRACE), confirmed the incident, which occurred around 2:00 pm. He said six others sustained injuries of varying severity in the accident, which involved a total of 15 people.
Eyewitnesses reported that the white Howo Sino truck, bearing registration number T4995LA, suffered brake failure, causing it to collide with multiple vehicles and individuals at the bus stop. “The truck reportedly failed to stop, crushing commuters who were attempting to board a bus and damaging several vehicles along its path,” Akinbiyi stated.
The force of the impact caused a multi-vehicle pile-up involving several commercial buses. According to the TRACE spokesperson, the vehicles involved included two yellow commercial buses with number plates SMK 199YK and AGL394YA, an LT commercial bus with number plate FKJ 360YH, and two Suzuki yellow buses with number plates 98YL and KSF 23YA. The injured victims were conveyed to nearby medical facilities for treatment.
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Friday’s tragedy is the second deadly truck accident at the same Toll-Gate location in less than a fortnight, raising urgent questions about road safety on the busy corridor.
Barely two weeks ago, six people lost their lives in a similar accident at the same toll gate, when a truck conveying oil lost its brakes and crushed the victims to death. Following that incident, Ogun State Government officials who visited the scene ordered the removal of traders plying their trade at the bus stop.
Ogun State Governor Prince Dapo Abiodun had, after that earlier crash, condemned the reckless driving habits of truck operators on the Sango-Ota corridor and called for urgent action.
The Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway Toll-Gate axis has long been identified as one of the most hazardous stretches of road in South-West Nigeria, with heavy articulated vehicles frequently transiting the route between Lagos and the hinterland. The FRSC Sector Commander for Ogun State has repeatedly urged drivers, especially operators of articulated vehicles, to ensure thorough mechanical checks before embarking on journeys.
Road safety advocates have called for more stringent enforcement of vehicle roadworthiness standards, particularly for trucks, and renewed demands for physical barriers to protect bus stops and pedestrian waiting areas along major expressways.
TRACE confirmed that investigations into Friday’s fatal crash are ongoing. No arrest had been announced as of press time.