Motor Boy Killed, Two Injured as Separate Kara Bridge Crashes Trigger Massive Gridlock

By Adebola Isimijola, Lagos

A motor boy was killed while two other persons sustained injuries in two separate road crashes on the Kara Bridge section of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway in the early hours of Friday, causing massive traffic gridlock and prompting emergency agencies to divert motorists to alternative routes.

The crashes, which occurred on both the outbound and inbound carriageways of the expressway, disrupted traffic movement from Kara Bridge through Berger to Otedola Bridge, with spill-over to the Isheri-Olowora and Ogunnusi corridors as rescue and recovery operations continued.

The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Lagos Sector Command, disclosed in a statement on Friday that the first crash occurred at about 12:05 a.m. on the outbound lane towards Ibadan and involved five articulated trucks and a Toyota Sienna bus. The Corps attributed the accident to excessive speed and loss of vehicle control.

According to the FRSC, seven adult males were involved in the collision, with one person confirmed dead, one injured and five others escaping unhurt. It added that the deceased’s body remained trapped beneath one of the heavily loaded trucks for hours, requiring heavy-duty recovery equipment before it could be evacuated.

While rescue operations were ongoing, a second crash occurred at about 3:15 a.m. on the inbound carriageway towards Lagos. The lone accident involved a Mazda commercial bus, which the FRSC attributed to brake failure. The driver sustained serious injuries and was rescued by FRSC personnel before being taken to the Lagos State Accident and Emergency Centre for treatment.

The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) said preliminary investigations indicated that the multiple-vehicle collision involved three articulated trucks, two Mitsubishi Canter trucks and a Toyota Sienna, while a separately overturned articulated trailer carrying chemical substances on the bridge was believed to have triggered the chain-reaction crash.

LASTMA confirmed that the deceased was a motor boy trapped during the initial collision around the Opic axis and said its operatives joined officials of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), the FRSC, the Nigeria Police and heavy-duty towing operators in a coordinated rescue operation to recover victims, clear the wreckage and restore traffic.

To ease congestion, the agency said it introduced temporary one-way traffic diversion from Berger towards Opic Turning while recovery efforts continued.

Lagos Sector Commander of the FRSC, Corps Commander Kehinde Ganiyu Hamzat, sympathised with the families of the victims and urged motorists to cooperate with traffic officials.

He said, “Motorists travelling along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway should remain patient, exercise caution and cooperate with traffic management officials at the scene.”

Hamzat advised motorists to avoid the Kara-Ojodu Berger corridor until recovery operations were completed. He urged travellers heading from Lagos to Ibadan to use the Ikorodu-Sagamu route, while those travelling into Lagos should consider the Lekki-Epe Expressway or the Ikorodu-Sagamu Expressway as alternative routes.

Also reacting, LASTMA General Manager, Mr. Olalekan Bakare-Oki, expressed condolences to the family of the deceased and urged operators of articulated vehicles and other motorists to ensure their vehicles were mechanically roadworthy, maintain safe following distances and avoid reckless driving, particularly on bridges and other critical road corridors.

He also appealed to motorists to remain calm, cooperate with traffic management officials and make use of alternative routes until normal traffic flow is fully restored.

The FRSC and LASTMA reaffirmed their commitment to working with other emergency agencies to ensure the swift clearance of the affected corridor and improve safety for all road users.