6 dead, 3 injured in tanker crash on Lagos-Abeokuta expressway

Six people have been confirmed dead, while three others were injured after a tragic accident on the Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway on Tuesday.

The crash happened at the Old Toll Gate area in Ado-Odo/Ota Local Government Area of Ogun State. According to reports, a Mack tanker truck carrying groundnut oil lost control and rammed into a commercial Suzuki mini bus and a tricycle, popularly known as “Keke Marwa.”

The vehicles involved were a Mack tanker truck with registration number EKY 913YH, a Suzuki mini bus marked SMK 16 YK, and a yellow TVS tricycle with registration number AAA 840 QM.

Public Relations Officer of the Ogun State’s Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Agency (TRACE), Babatunde Akinbiyi, who confirmed the accident, attributed the cause of the tragic incident to over-speeding on the part if the driver of the Mack tanker truck, which caused him to lose control and crash into the Susuki Mini Bus and the tricycle.

Akinbiyi explained that the driver of the tanker truck, “travelling from Ota towards Lagos State, drove with speed and recklessly too before ramming into several vehicles, including a tricycle and pedestrians.”

The TRACE spokesman explained that several pedestrians, waiting at the Tollgate bus stop to catch vehicles to their various destinations, were trapped in the accident, which claimed the lives of the six persons.

Akinbiyi explained that the six deceased persons lost their lives on thespot, while the three injured victims were rescued to a nearby hospital for medical attention.

“The injured victims have been rescued and transported to the State Hospital, Ota. The deceased are currently being moved to the Ifo State Mortuary.

​”Efforts are underway to clear the wreckage, including the truck, the affected vehicles, and the tricycle, from the roadway and shoulder,” he added.

The TRACE Spokesman, however, explained that it took the combined efforts of operatives of the TRACE and other sister agencies like the police, the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), as well as those of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) to manage the situation and restore normal traffic low to the area.