LASTMA blames reckless driving, warns motorists against overspeeding during ember months.
Six people, including a minor, have been confirmed dead while nine others sustained varying degrees of injuries in a devastating accident that occurred on Monday at the Ibeju Bus Stop along the Lekki–Epe Expressway, Lagos.
The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) confirmed the incident in an official statement signed by its Director of Public Affairs and Enlightenment, Adebayo Taofiq. According to LASTMA’s preliminary investigation, the crash was caused by excessive speeding and reckless driving, which led to a collision between a blue Volvo FL6 truck laden with planks and a white commercial bus with registration number AKD 336 YD.
Casualties and Rescue Efforts: The crash claimed the lives of two men, three women, and a child, while nine other passengers were left with injuries ranging from minor to severe. Authorities also disclosed that four additional passengers miraculously escaped unhurt.
Emergency response teams, including LASTMA officials, the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), the police, and the Lagos Neighbourhood Safety Corps, swiftly mobilised to the scene. They provided first aid, rescued trapped victims, and evacuated the injured to the Federal Medical Centre, Epe, and Hammond Hospital for urgent medical care. The bodies of the deceased were later deposited at the FMC morgue.
LASTMA Issues Stern Warning: The General Manager of LASTMA, Olalekan Bakare-Oki, expressed his condolences to the families of the victims and strongly warned motorists against reckless driving.
He emphasised that most fatal accidents were not acts of fate or supernatural forces but direct consequences of human carelessness. “Speed thrills but ultimately kills,” Bakare-Oki cautioned, urging drivers to adopt patience, discipline, and defensive driving habits, especially as the year enters the high-risk “ember months.”
He also praised the swift coordination of the emergency agencies, which helped restore calm and ensured that normal traffic flow resumed at the accident site.
Rising Trend of Fatal Accidents: The latest tragedy comes less than two weeks after another fatal accident in Lagos, where a Toyota Highlander driver lost his life in a collision with a commercial bus at the Volkswagen area, inward Mile 2.
Road safety advocates have since renewed calls for stricter enforcement of traffic laws and enhanced public awareness campaigns to curb the rising wave of road traffic crashes across the state.
