Four people have died and four others sustained serious injuries following a collision between a truck and a commercial minibus along the Lekki–Epe Expressway.
The incident was confirmed on Sunday by Adebayo Taofiq, director of public affairs and enlightenment at the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority.
According to the agency, the crash occurred over the weekend at Beechwood, Shapati, near Ajah along the busy expressway.
LASTMA said the accident involved a fully loaded Suzuki commercial minibus, commonly known as “Korope,” and a HOWO truck with registration number KNN 313 YL.
Preliminary investigations indicated that the driver of the articulated truck reportedly lost control of the vehicle, veered across the lane, and crashed into the oncoming passenger-carrying minibus.
“The catastrophic impact of the collision resulted in the immediate death of four male passengers, while four other occupants, comprising two males and two females, sustained severe fracture injuries after becoming trapped within the mangled wreckage of the commercial vehicle,” the statement said.
Officials of LASTMA, alongside other emergency responders and bystanders, rescued the trapped victims from the damaged minibus.
Personnel from the Federal Road Safety Corps transported the bodies of the deceased to Shency Hospital Mortuary, while the injured victims were taken to Hamon Royal Hospital for urgent medical treatment.
Officers of the Nigeria Police Force from the Elemoro Police Division secured the accident scene and ensured safety during the rescue operations.
Authorities said investigations have begun to determine the exact cause of the crash. The truck driver and his motor boy reportedly fled the scene after the accident.
Reacting to the incident, Olalekan Bakare-Oki, General Manager of LASTMA, expressed sympathy to the families of the victims and wished the injured a speedy recovery.
He also commended emergency responders for their swift and coordinated response in rescuing the trapped passengers.
Bakare-Oki urged motorists, particularly drivers of articulated vehicles, to exercise caution, obey traffic regulations and adopt responsible driving habits to prevent avoidable road accidents.
