Death on the expressway: Seven perish in Lagos-Ibadan crash

By Joy Akinsanya

No fewer than seven persons died, while 11 others sustained injuries in a road crash on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway on Thursday.

The spokesperson of the Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Agency (TRACE), Mr Babatunde Akinbiyi, confirmed the incident in a statement issued in Abeokuta.

Akinbiyi said the crash occurred at about 3:08 p.m. around the Conoil axis, inbound Lagos.

He said the accident involved a white Toyota bus, with registration number APP 733 YN, and a Sino truck, registered DED 348 XC.

According to him, eyewitnesses reported that the truck suddenly joined the expressway at high speed and rammed into the fully loaded bus.

He said 20 persons, comprising eight males and 12 females, were involved in the accident.

“Seven persons, comprising two males and five females, lost their lives, while 11 others, including five males and six females, sustained injuries,” he said.

Akinbiyi said TRACE operatives, the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) and the police promptly responded to the scene.

He said the injured victims were taken to Ishara General Hospital for treatment, while the bodies were deposited at the morgue of Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital (OOUTH), Sagamu.

He added that the affected vehicles had been evacuated, restoring free flow of traffic along the axis.

Akinbiyi commiserated with the families of the deceased and urged motorists to avoid excessive speeding.

He also advised drivers to exercise caution when joining major highways to prevent avoidable accidents.

( NAN)