Three persons sustained varying degree of injuries in separate auto accidents that occurred between Monday night and Tuesday in Ibafo area of Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Ogun State and Maryland, Lagos respectively. In the accident that occurred on Tuesday at the Maryland end of Ikorodu Road, an official of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps and an unidentified person were injured after four vehicles were involved in an accident.
It was learnt that an oncoming vehicle did not see the Hummer on time and applied the brakes abruptly, causing other oncoming vehicles to ram into it.
An eyewitness, Olaolu Petinrin, said, “A Hummer parked behind another vehicle on the side of the expressway. An oncoming vehicle, which did not see it on time, applied the brakes abruptly.
“Other vehicles coming behind also tried to manoeuvre when a garbage disposal truck rammed into two of the vehicles, pushing them across the barrier into the lane designated for the Bus Rapid Transit buses.”
PUNCH Metro observed that the four vehicles were a brown Toyota Camry car with number plate Lagos PP398KJA; a Toyota Camry with registration number Lagos KU 900EKY, a Toyota Sienna with number plate, Lagos LSD740BB; and a green garbage disposal truck.
The accident caused a traffic snarl from Maryland to Obanikoro Bus Stop as well as Ojota for over 45 minutes.
A victim, whose identity could not be ascertained, was seen vomiting on the side of the road.
It was learnt that the traffic situation would have been worse if not for the timely intervention of Lagos State Traffic Management Authority officials, who conveyed the victims into an ambulance and towed the affected vehicles away.
A LASTMA official, who preferred to remain anonymous, advised motorists to desist from parking on the expressways as this could cause accidents.
“Motorists are of the habit of dropping off passengers on the side of the road, even on expressways, not minding oncoming traffic. This is probably what caused today’s accident and people also need to desist from going on high speed even when the road is free,” he said.
Also, a yet-to-be identified man on Monday night sustained serious injuries at the Ibafo end of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, as a truck trying to reverse rammed into Toyota mini-bus he was driving.
In the Ibafo accident, eyewitnesses told PUNCH Metro that the truck involved in the accident was one of the numerous ones usually parked indiscriminately in front of World Oil filling station by the expressway, adding that the injured man was driving on high speed before the truck rammed into it.
It was learnt that the injured man who sustained injuries to the head was rejected at a private hospital he was initially rushed to before he was moved to the Shagamu General Hospital.
An eyewitness, identified simply as Matthew, said the incident opccurred at about 11:30pm, adding that the victim’s head was completely “messed up.”
He said, “We rushed to the scene of the incident as soon as it happened and the spectacle was so unpleasant. After he was rejected at the private hospital, policemen attached to the Ibafo Division, Ogun State Command then rushed him to Shagamu General Hospital.
A resident, who identified himself simply as Wahab, blamed the incident on the truck drivers who he said were in the habit of parking indiscriminately in front of the filling station.
He said, “It is unfortunate that the truck drivers keep on parking their vehicles in front of the filling station despite the fact that government officials had repeatedly warned them against it.
“The other three truck drivers whose vehicles were parked there fled the scene as soon as the incident happened. That is how they constitute menace on this section of the road. Government should caution them and prevent avoidable deaths.”
When our correspondent visited the Ibafo Police Division, the damaged mini-bus was sighted on the premises of the station.
The Divisional Police Officer, Abayomi Oladipupo, confirmed the incident to our correspondent. He said that the injured man’s relatives had been contacted.
“The injured man was alone in the vehicle when the incident happened and he is receiving a comprehensive medical treatment at the Shagamu General Hospital based on the magnitude of the injuries he sustained,” Oladipupo said.
When asked to give his identity, Oladipupo said, “I don’t think his identity is important, but I can tell you that his relatives have already been contacted.”
Punch Nigeria
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