A woman was crushed to death on Friday at Ita Oluwo, a boundary community between Lagos and Ogun States, following a tragic road crash involving two articulated trucks.
The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), in a statement on Saturday by its Director of Public Affairs and Enlightenment, Adebayo Taofiq, confirmed that the accident was caused by brake failure and reckless speeding.
The fatal collision occurred when a speeding iron-rod-laden Iveco truck (registration number QX 189 KSF) rammed into a stationary truck (YA 701 AAA), pinning the woman fatally between the two.
Emergency responders from LASTMA, the Lagos Fire and Rescue Service, the Lagos Neighbourhood Safety Corps, and the Nigeria Police successfully extricated the victim from the wreckage.
She was later taken to the morgue at Ogun State University Teaching Hospital, Sagamu.
General Manager of LASTMA, Mr. Olalekan Bakare-Oki, described the incident as a grim consequence of mechanical negligence and irresponsible driving.
> “This appalling tragedy highlights the urgent necessity for unyielding compliance with road safety protocols, particularly for operators of articulated trucks conveying hazardous and high-density cargo,” Bakare-Oki stated.
He emphasized that such incidents, though avoidable, continue to recur due to poor vehicle maintenance and lack of professional discipline among drivers.
Bakare-Oki called on haulage companies to implement routine mechanical checks, verify driver competence, and ensure strict fitness evaluations before deploying vehicles.
“Roadworthiness is not optional, but obligatory for those entrusted with the operation of high-risk transport equipment,” he said.
Following the accident, normal traffic flow has been restored in the area. LASTMA urged truck operators to observe speed limits, obey traffic regulations, and promptly report any mechanical faults before embarking on trips.
The tragic loss serves as a stark reminder of the dangers posed by poorly maintained heavy-duty vehicles on Nigerian roads.
