A tragic scene unfolded on Friday at Ita Oluwo, a boundary community between Lagos and Ogun states, when a speeding articulated truck suffered brake failure and rammed into another stationary vehicle, crushing a woman to death.
The incident, which caused panic among residents and commuters, involved two iron-rod-laden Iveco trucks with number plates QX 189 KSF and YA 701 AAA. One of the trucks reportedly lost control due to brake failure and collided with the other, pinning the victim between the two vehicles.
Confirming the incident, the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) said the crash was caused by reckless speeding and mechanical failure on the part of the moving truck.
“A woman was tragically caught and trapped between the two articulated vehicles,” the agency said in a statement issued on Saturday by the Director of Public Affairs and Enlightenment Department, Adebayo Taofiq.
Emergency responders quickly arrived at the scene and extricated the victim from the wreckage. She was later confirmed dead and her body deposited at the Ogun State University Teaching Hospital mortuary in Sagamu.
Describing the incident as a grim reminder of the dangers posed by unfit heavy-duty vehicles and negligent driving, LASTMA’s General Manager, Mr. Olalekan Bakare-Oki, called for stricter enforcement of safety checks for haulage operators.
“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,” he said.
He further stressed that routine mechanical inspections, driver certification and fitness evaluations must be enforced by transport companies to prevent avoidable loss of lives.
