Granite-laden truck crushes car in Lekki, driver killed, wife critically injured
A granite-laden truck on Thursday toppled onto a Toyota saloon car at Eleko Junction along the Lekki–Ajah Expressway in Lagos State, killing a motorist and critically injuring his wife.
The Director of the Public Affairs and Enlightenment Department of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), Adebayo Taofiq, disclosed this in a statement. He said preliminary reports indicated that the articulated truck, heavily loaded with granite and travelling at high speed from the Epe axis, approached Eleko Junction when it reportedly suffered a catastrophic brake failure.
Taofiq explained, “The mechanical failure led to a sudden loss of control, causing the truck to veer off its course and collide forcefully with a Toyota saloon car travelling from Ajah towards Epe.”
According to LASTMA, the impact caused the truck to overturn and crush the smaller vehicle, trapping the driver inside the wreckage.
Officials of LASTMA and the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), with the assistance of bystanders, rescued the victims. However, the driver was confirmed dead at the scene, while his wife sustained life-threatening injuries and was rushed to a hospital for urgent medical attention.
The agency added that the truck driver fled the scene immediately after the crash. Operatives of the Akodo Police Division provided security during the rescue operation.
The General Manager of LASTMA, Olalekan Bakare-Oki, described the incident as avoidable. He urged motorists, particularly truck drivers, to ensure proper vehicle maintenance and warned against reckless driving.
