Granite-laden truck reportedly loses brakes, overturns on Lekki–Ajah Expressway as driver flees scene

A tragic road accident claimed the life of a motorist and left his wife critically injured on Thursday morning after a granite-laden truck toppled onto their Toyota saloon car at Eleko Junction along the Lekki–Ajah Expressway in Lagos State.

The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) disclosed the incident in a statement issued by its Director of Public Affairs and Enlightenment Department, Adebayo Taofiq.

According to preliminary reports, the articulated truck, heavily loaded with granite and travelling from the Epe axis at excessive speed, reportedly suffered a catastrophic brake failure as it approached Eleko Junction.

The mechanical fault led to a sudden loss of control, causing the truck to veer off course and slam violently into the Toyota car heading inward Epe from Ajah.

The force of the collision caused the truck to overturn, crushing the smaller vehicle and trapping the driver inside the mangled wreckage.

LASTMA officials, in collaboration with operatives of the Federal Road Safety Corps and assisted by bystanders, rescued the victims from the debris. However, the male driver was pronounced dead at the scene, while his wife sustained life-threatening injuries and was rushed to a nearby hospital for emergency treatment.

The truck driver reportedly fled immediately after the crash. Officers of the Akodo Police Division were said to have secured the area during the rescue and recovery operations.

Reacting to the incident, LASTMA General Manager Olalekan Bakare-Oki described the crash as avoidable, stressing the need for strict adherence to vehicle maintenance standards. He also warned truck operators and motorists against reckless driving, particularly on busy highways.