Four Killed, Four Injured in Lekki-Epe Expressway Crash

Four passengers have died while four others sustained serious injuries in a road accident involving a truck and a commercial minibus along the Lekki-Epe Expressway in Lagos.

The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) said the crash occurred opposite Beechwood, Shapati, inward Ajah, when a HOWO truck lost control and rammed into a fully loaded Suzuki commercial minibus, popularly known as Korope.

According to preliminary findings, the articulated truck veered across the carriageway and collided with the oncoming bus conveying passengers along the busy corridor.

The impact led to the instant death of four male passengers, while four others, two men and two women, sustained severe fracture injuries after becoming trapped inside the wreckage of the bus.

Director, Public Affairs and Enlightenment Department of LASTMA, Adebayo Taofiq in a statement said emergency responders quickly arrived at the scene and worked to rescue the injured passengers from the crushed vehicle with assistance from passersby and other rescue teams.

Taofiq said the injured victims were taken to Hamon Royal Hospital for urgent medical treatment, while the remains of the deceased were evacuated to Shency Hospital Morgue by officials of the Federal Road Safety Corps.

He noted police officers from the Nigeria Police Force attached to the Elemoro Division maintained security and ensured order at the accident scene during the rescue operation.

He explained that said the truck driver and his motor boy fled the scene after the crash.

The General Manager of LASTMA, Olalekan Bakare-Oki, expressed sadness over the incident and extended condolences to the families of the deceased.

He also wished the injured victims a speedy recovery and commended the coordinated efforts of emergency responders whose swift intervention helped rescue the trapped passengers.

Bakare-Oki urged motorists, particularly drivers of articulated vehicles, to exercise caution and strictly comply with traffic regulations to prevent avoidable accidents on the state’s roads.