No fewer than three unidentified passengers were confirmed dead late Thursday following a multi-vehicle crash on the Kara section of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.
It was gathered that an unidentified truck driver transporting sugar, lost control and collided with another vehicle, triggering a chain of collisions around 7 pm along Isheri-Olofin, outward bound from Lagos State.
It was learnt that the other vehicles involved in the accident included an SF3000 truck, a Toyota Camry car with the number plate EPE 200 GK, an Isuzu mini truck with the number plate T-1079 LA and a Honda Accord car.
A fuel attendant at a nearby filling station, identified only as Michael, said that he saw several other passengers being rushed to the hospital.
“Three vehicles were involved in the accident, including one fully loaded with bags of sugar. I heard that some people lost their lives.
“However, I saw several injured passengers being rushed to the hospital. The truck driver fled the scene before he could be arrested,” Michael stated.
The spokesperson for the Ogun State Police Command, Omolola Odutola, confirmed the incident around 11:30 pm on Thursday and stated that the victims had been taken to a hospital in Lagos for medical attention.
She said, “Three passengers including two women and one man died at the scene. The injured were transported to the emergency clinic at Old Toll Gate in Ojota for treatment. The Lagos State Fire Service was present to extinguish the fire.
“The bodies have been taken to the mortuary at Lagos State University Teaching Hospital for identification and autopsy. Authorities are actively working to locate the truck driver who fled the scene.”
The spokesperson for the Lagos State Fire Service, Amodu Shakiru, stated, “The incident occurred in Ogun State but our team was on-site to do everything possible to manage the situation. It took place along the Kara Bridge.”
A similar incident on Wednesday involving another crash that resulted in the death of an unidentified driver and injuries to three other passengers on the Ogun State section of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.