Lagos was jolted by twin nighttime accidents on its major bridges in the early hours of Monday, resulting in two fatalities and two individuals fighting for their lives, with authorities pinning the cause squarely on excessive speed and a flagrant disregard for traffic laws.
The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), in a statement, detailed the separate but catastrophic collisions that unfolded between midnight and dawn, revealing what it called the “absolute necessity” of strict speed limit adherence across the metropolis.
The first incident occurred at approximately 2:30 a.m. on the Otedola Bridge, inbound Berger along the Lagos–Ibadan Expressway. Preliminary investigations indicate that an unregistered vehicle, carrying two occupants, was traveling at an unlawful and hazardous velocity” when it slammed with tremendous force into a moving heavily-laden trailer.
The violence of the impact was fatal, killing both occupants instantly. In a disturbing development, the trailer driver fled the scene with the articulated vehicle.
LASTMA’s 24-hour Night-Gang teams, deployed for nocturnal surveillance, responded swiftly. They evacuated the deceased from the carriageway to prevent further danger and extricated the mangled wreckage. Operations were supported by officers from the Isheri Police Division, while the State Environmental Health Monitoring Unit (SHEMU) later conveyed the remains.
Just hours later, at about 5:00 a.m., another severe crash erupted on the Third Mainland Bridge near the UNILAG waterfront, inward Lagos Island. An empty tanker collided with a pure-water distribution van (SMK 67 XH), leaving two individuals with grievous injuries. The victims received immediate first-aid from the Lagos State Ambulance Service (LASAMBUS) before being rushed to a nearby hospital for critical treatment.
Throughout these distressing events, LASTMA officers maintained traffic control on both corridors to safeguard other motorists and prevent secondary incidents.
The General Manager of LASTMA, Mr. Olalekan Bakare-Oki, expressed profound condolences to the bereaved families. “We lament the tragic and wholly preventable loss of life brought about by reckless speeding and brazen disregard for established road safety norms,” he stated.
He issued a stern reminder of the agency’s uncompromising stance on speed limits, declaring such compliance “indispensable for the preservation of human life and the avoidance of catastrophic, avoidable tragedies.”
Bakare-Oki praised the professionalism of the LASTMA Night-Gang teams, affirming that the agency’s 24-hour surveillance and rapid-response operations would continue with unwavering vigour into the new year, in line with the state government’s commitment to public safety.
The incidents have reignited urgent calls for motorist discipline on Lagos roads, especially during nighttime hours when reduced visibility and perceived lower traffic volume often tempt drivers into dangerous excess speed.
