A male motorist has been killed while his wife sustained critical injuries following a fatal road crash involving a granite-laden articulated truck at Eleko Junction along the Lekki–Ajah Expressway on Tuesday morning.
The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) said the incident occurred when the truck, travelling from the Epe axis, reportedly suffered brake failure while approaching the junction at high speed.
The loss of control caused the truck to veer off its lane and ram into a Toyota saloon car travelling from Ajah towards Epe.
In a statement issued by the Director, Public Affairs and Enlightenment Department, Adebayo Taofiq, LASTMA said the impact forced the articulated vehicle to topple onto the smaller car, crushing it and trapping the driver inside the wreckage.
LASTMA officials, working alongside operatives of the Federal Road Safety Corps ((FRSC) and assisted by members of the public, rescued the occupants from the crushed vehicle.
The driver of the Toyota car was pronounced dead at the scene, while his wife, who was seated in the front passenger seat, was rescued with life-threatening injuries.
Both victims were evacuated by an FRSC ambulance for medical attention and mortuary procedures.
Authorities confirmed that the driver of the articulated truck fled the scene, abandoning the vehicle and evading responsibility. Officers from the Akodo Police Division provided security and maintained order during the rescue and recovery operations.
Reacting to the incident, the General Manager of LASTMA, Olalekan Bakare-Oki, expressed condolences to the family of the deceased and described the crash as tragic and avoidable.
He prayed for the speedy recovery of the injured woman and reiterated the agency’s commitment to the strict enforcement of traffic laws, particularly against reckless driving, poor vehicle maintenance, and other violations of road safety regulations.
In a separate incident, a 33,000-litre fuel tanker caught fire around midnight at Ile-Zik inward Magboro along the Lagos–Abeokuta Expressway.
LASTMA rescue officials, in collaboration with the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, responded promptly and successfully contained the fire, preventing it from escalating into a major disaster.
To ensure effective emergency operations, traffic was temporarily diverted into the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) corridor, while normal traffic flow was restored after the firefighting and recovery operations were concluded.
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