At least three students of the Lagos State University of Science and Technology (LASUSTECH), Ikorodu, were on Saturday confirmed dead in a multiple auto crash that occurred around Powerline Junction, before Aleje, inward the Ikorodu roundabout in Ikorodu area of the state.
LEADERSHIP gathered that the three deceased students, comprising two males and one female, were confirmed dead on arrival (DOA) by medical experts in the hospital they were taken to for medical attention.
The accident involved an unregistered truck laden with sand, a Toyota Corolla (SMK 42 AJ), an MPV bus and four tricycles.
It was further leant that six other persons and a commercial tricycle operator popularly called Keke NAPEP, sustained varying degrees of injuries in the accident that occurred just meters away from the University’s main campus.
Confirming the tragic accident, the general manager of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), Olalekan Bakare-Oki, explained that the truck, travelling at an excessive speed, suffered a brake failure, which caused the driver to lose control.
He said the truck rammed into other road users, colliding forcefully with multiple vehicles and tricycles in its path, leading to devastating wreckage and loss of lives.
Bakare-Oki lamented that the incident was entirely avoidable, decrying the recurring menace of recklessness, over-speeding, and poor vehicular maintenance, particularly defective braking systems, as persistent causes of fatal road mishaps across the State.
He sternly admonished all commercial and heavy-duty vehicle operators to strictly adhere to statutory speed limits, undergo periodic mechanical checks, and uphold the highest standards of road discipline to preserve lives and property on Lagos roads.
LASTMA’s spokesperson, Adebayo Taofiq, added that the casualties could have been more, but for the swift response of the LASTMA officials and other emergency agencies forestalled secondary accidents at the scene.
“Together, they rescued and swiftly conveyed seven critically injured victims to nearby medical facilities for urgent treatment, while the three deceased casualties were respectfully evacuated and deposited at the General Hospital, Ikorodu mortuary.
“Following the evacuation, all wrecked vehicles were meticulously removed from the accident scene by LASTMA personnel to restore order and ensure the free flow of traffic along the corridor,” Taofiq stated.
