Tragedy struck in Lagos on Saturday as three students of the Lagos State University of Science and Technology (LASUSTECH) lost their lives in a road accident at Powerline Junction, inward Ikorodu Roundabout. Seven other people sustained varying degrees of injury in the crash.
The spokesperson for the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), Mr Adebayo Taofiq, confirmed the incident in a statement.
According to him, the accident occurred when the driver of a sand-laden tipper truck reportedly suffered brake failure, losing control of the vehicle before ploughing into several others on the busy route.
Taofiq said the collision, which involved a Toyota Corolla, an MPV bus, and four tricycles, left the scene strewn with wreckage and casualties.
“In a deeply distressing accident that threw the Ikorodu community into mourning, three young students, two males and one female, from LASUSTECH died instantly after a speeding tipper lost control at Powerline Junction,” the statement read.
He added that seven others, including tricycle riders, sustained serious injuries. Preliminary findings indicated that mechanical failure and excessive speed were to blame for the tragedy.
Emergency responders from LASTMA, the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), and the Nigeria Police were said to have arrived promptly to rescue victims and manage the situation.4
“Seven critically injured persons were rushed to nearby hospitals for urgent treatment, while the three deceased victims were taken to the mortuary at the General Hospital, Ikorodu,” Taofiq stated.
He noted that traffic officials later cleared the mangled vehicles from the scene to restore normal traffic flow.
Reacting to the incident, LASTMA General Manager, Mr Olalekan Bakare-Oki, expressed his condolences to the bereaved families and prayed for the recovery of those injured.
He described the crash as “avoidable”, blaming the persistent issues of reckless driving, overspeeding, and poor vehicle maintenance, especially faulty braking systems, for many of the state’s fatal road accidents.
