Dare Babalola
Two individuals were injured following a collision between two trucks at the Arepo Bridge section of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway in the early hours of Sunday.
The crash, which occurred around 4 am, involved an empty American Cola truck and a Seaco truck.
The accident resulted in traffic congestion along the busy highway, with Federal Road Safety Corps officers working to remove the damaged trucks from the scene.
Eyewitnesses at the scene said one of the drivers was rushed to a hospital after sustaining serious injuries.
A witness, Mrs Ibukun Victoria, told newsmen that the other driver suffered minor injuries, adding that one of the drivers sustained a fracture in his leg.
Another driver who witnessed the incident attributed the crash to waste materials allegedly left on the highway.
The driver of the American Cola truck, Yakubu Musa, who sustained minor injuries, stated that the slippery debris on the highway caused his truck to sway, making him lose control despite efforts to stabilise the vehicle.
Musa said several vehicles were affected by the situation.
“I was coming from Ikeja and heading to Sagamu to load the truck. The truck started swaying around the Arepo area, but I tried all I could before I totally lost control of it around the Punch bridge and it hit the median barrier on the highway,” he said.
He continued, “The waste on the road is very slippery and every vehicle that passes through is affected. Some had their windscreens and trafficators broken in the process. It was when I got off the truck that I noticed the slippery substance on the road which looked like waste from a factory.
“I thank God I only sustained small injuries on my arm and leg, but the other driver has been rushed to the hospital by his company because his leg was fractured. My motorboy is also safe.”
Another driver, John Emmanuel, who joined the rescue team, lamented that substances capable of causing accidents were left on the road, adding that the truck driver responsible should be arrested.
Emmanuel said, “The person responsible for the waste on the road should be arrested.”
A police officer at the scene said he was not authorised to speak to the press.
“I was not there when it happened exactly, and I am not authorised to speak. When my superiors arrive, they will address the press,” he said.
Officials of the Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Agency later arrived at the scene and began directing traffic to ease the gridlock on the highway.
