Lagos: Four Injured As Container Truck Crashes Into Vehicles, Motorcycles

Four people were critically injured in a multi-vehicle crash involving two container trucks, a commercial bus and nine motorcycles at First Gate, inward Mile 2, Lagos.

The crash involved a Mack truck carrying a 40-foot container, another truck carrying a 20-foot container, a commercial bus with registration number AAA 723 YF and nine commercial motorcycles, according to the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA).

LASTMA said preliminary findings indicated that the Mack truck may have suffered brake failure, causing its driver to lose control before colliding with the other truck, the bus and the motorcycles.

“The collision was caused by an apparent brake failure suffered by the Mack truck, resulting in a loss of braking control and a subsequent impact with the 20-foot container truck, commercial bus and the nine commercial motorcyclists,” the agency said.

Four people – three men and one woman – sustained serious injuries, including fractures to their arms and legs, LASTMA said.

The driver of the Mack truck and the other drivers involved in the crash were handed over to the police for investigation.

LASTMA said further action would depend on the outcome of the investigation, while the Mack truck driver was also detained following the crash.

The General Manager of LASTMA, Olalekan Bakare-Oki, sympathised with the injured victims and their families and raised concerns over the continued use of commercial motorcycles on restricted highways.

He urged motorists, commercial transport operators and other road users to obey traffic regulations and ensure their vehicles were properly inspected before embarking on journeys.

“Operators of articulated vehicles, in particular, must pay close attention to the condition of their braking systems, tyres, steering mechanisms and other safety-related parts before embarking on any journey,” Bakare-Oki said.

He added that ensuring vehicles were mechanically roadworthy and complying with traffic regulations remained important to reducing preventable crashes on busy roads.