Man killed, wife injured as truck crushes car in Lagos

A man lost his life while his wife sustained critical injuries on Thursday morning after a granite-laden truck overturned and crushed their Toyota saloon car at Eleko Junction along the Lekki–Ajah Expressway in Lagos State.

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

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

The mechanical fault caused the driver to lose control, forcing the truck off its lane and into the path of the Toyota car heading from Ajah towards Epe.

The truck subsequently overturned and landed on the smaller vehicle, trapping the driver inside the wreckage.

Officials of LASTMA and the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), with assistance from bystanders, carried out a rescue operation. The male driver was confirmed dead at the scene, while his wife, who sustained severe injuries, was rushed to a nearby hospital for emergency treatment.

LASTMA noted that the truck driver fled immediately after the crash, while officers from the Akodo Police Division secured the area during the rescue efforts.

Reacting to the incident, LASTMA General Manager Olalekan Bakare-Oki described the tragedy as preventable and urged motorists, particularly truck operators, to prioritise regular vehicle maintenance and avoid reckless driving.