There was chaos along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Ogun State, and Apapa-Oshodi Expressway, Lagos State, on Thursday as some motorists stuck in traffic passed out.
Some of the motorists, which included a pregnant woman, were seen by eyewitnesses being carried out of their vehicles in frantic bids to resuscitate them.
The traffic congestions were said to have been caused by accidents involving trailers conveying goods on the roads.
Although no life was lost in the two accidents, the trailers blocked the roads and rendered them impassable for hours.
It was learnt that the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway accident occurred around 5 am at the Arepo U-turn.
An Iveco truck, with number plate, Kano XB 103 FG, conveying soya beans to Ibadan, Oyo State, crashed against the median at the U-turn.
It was learnt that the propeller of the vehicle had snapped and the driver had lost control of the truck when the accident happened.
Our correspondent learnt that the traffic stretched as far as Ikeja, Lagos.
We observed policemen from the Ibafo division, officials of the Federal Road Safety Corps and men of the Ogun State Traffic Regulation Agency controlling the traffic.
A witness said the driver of the trailer was asleep, adding that the trailer ran into one of the many potholes on the road.
He said, “The driver was fast asleep and did not know when he entered the potholes. As he struggled to regain control of the vehicle, the propeller snapped and he lost control of it.
“The tyres climbed the median and tumbled down to the ground.”
Some people were seen by our correspondent trying to empty the content of the trailer so it could be easily evacuated from the road.
More than 221 sacks of soya beans were removed from the trailer before a crane brought by the FRSC officials was able to drag the body partly off the road.
Mohammed Yaro, a mechanic, said the driver had been admitted in a hospital.
He said, “Nobody can tell what exactly caused this accident. Only the driver and his assistant can explain it. The driver is in the hospital because he was seriously injured, but the assistant is nowhere to be found.
“The trailer was coming from Tin Can Island and was going to Ibadan when the accident happened.”
Some motorists were said to have passed out due to the traffic, which lasted for more than 10 hours.
A victim, who asked not to be named, said he spent about four hours on the road and had struggled to drive himself safely to the office.
He said, “I had got to Ikeja, when I realised there was traffic congestion on the expressway. I tried to drive through the inner roads, but as I was about to burst out at Berger, I discovered the road was completely blocked.
“I started feeling dizzy at that point but I tried to pull through and drive through the traffic. As I drove into my office compound, I lost control of myself and people started pouring water on my head.”
A witness, who identified himself as Idris, said he observed a passenger in an interstate bus being fanned after she passed out.
He said, “I was in a bus on the Warewa bridge when I saw people fanning a woman, who had passed out. I could not wait to see if she made it or not.”
Another witness, Motunrayo, said a pregnant woman in a commercial bus was observed vomiting.
“She could not bear it any longer. She kept vomiting as people tried hard to save her. She vomited to the point that she became weak. I just hope she did not die,” she said.
A road contractor, Arowolo Oloyede, said he had lost a contract worth millions of naira as a result of the traffic snarl.
He said, “I just lost a business worth millions of naira now. I have been on this road since 8am and I am just arriving at the accident point at 1pm. I think there is no point again. I have parked my car at the roadside and will be turning back.”
Oloyede said accidents were frequent on the road, appealing to the Federal Government to act fast.
A motorist, Lukman Akinkunmi, said he trekked the whole stretch of the Warewa bridge.
“We have been in the traffic for more than two hours. Everywhere is at a standstill,” he said.
Observation has it that the traffic situation became compounded as some vehicles were trapped in potholes.
A Hilux van, with registration number Lagos, KSF 849 XE, was stuck in a pothole at the U-turn, forcing all his passengers to alight.
Scores of commuters were observed by this correspondent stranded at the bus stops as they awaited vehicles.
A female commuter was seen taking a motorcycle at the Arepo bus stop for Berger, Lagos State.
The Sector Commander, Ogun State FRSC, Mr. Adegoke Adetunji, said the corps had cleared the wreckage from the road as of 4.30pm.
He said, “The road is bad at that particular point where the trailer fell. Our men were however able to swiftly address the situation. Traffic is now clear.”
In the Oshodi incident, a 40-foot tanker was said to have been hit by another truck, which caused traffic congestion.
It was learnt that the two trucks blocked the Oshodi Oke end of the road and caused a traffic jam.
Officials of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority and policemen from the Makinde division, were said to have responded to the situation.
A LASTMA official at the scene of the accident narrated that the efforts of the agency to redirect traffic were futile.
He said, “Around 1pm, an unregistered rickety 40-foot tanker was heading towards Oshodi Oke when another 40- foot tanker, with registration number KTU 929 SM, brushed its side.
“Both of them fell and blocked the road. We discovered that both trucks were loaded with goods. The unregistered tanker was overloaded and could not bear the weight of the load and that was on it.
“The first thing that happened was that the strap snapped off and the truck broke immediately the second tanker hit it by the side. It damaged the second container.”
He added that although there was no loss of life, the accident created a gridlock which shutdown the Anthony, and Oshodi areas.
“We have been diverting the traffic towards Olupese, inward Agege Motor road to ease the traffic, but the situation appeared to be getting out of hand,” he added.
The Public Relations Officer, LASTMA, Mr. Mahmud Hassan, appealed to motorists to exercise caution on the road, adding that no life was lost in the incident.
Some of the motorists, which included a pregnant woman, were seen by eyewitnesses being carried out of their vehicles in frantic bids to resuscitate them.
The traffic congestions were said to have been caused by accidents involving trailers conveying goods on the roads.
Although no life was lost in the two accidents, the trailers blocked the roads and rendered them impassable for hours.
It was learnt that the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway accident occurred around 5 am at the Arepo U-turn.
An Iveco truck, with number plate, Kano XB 103 FG, conveying soya beans to Ibadan, Oyo State, crashed against the median at the U-turn.
It was learnt that the propeller of the vehicle had snapped and the driver had lost control of the truck when the accident happened.
Our correspondent learnt that the traffic stretched as far as Ikeja, Lagos.
We observed policemen from the Ibafo division, officials of the Federal Road Safety Corps and men of the Ogun State Traffic Regulation Agency controlling the traffic.
A witness said the driver of the trailer was asleep, adding that the trailer ran into one of the many potholes on the road.
He said, “The driver was fast asleep and did not know when he entered the potholes. As he struggled to regain control of the vehicle, the propeller snapped and he lost control of it.
“The tyres climbed the median and tumbled down to the ground.”
Some people were seen by our correspondent trying to empty the content of the trailer so it could be easily evacuated from the road.
More than 221 sacks of soya beans were removed from the trailer before a crane brought by the FRSC officials was able to drag the body partly off the road.
Mohammed Yaro, a mechanic, said the driver had been admitted in a hospital.
He said, “Nobody can tell what exactly caused this accident. Only the driver and his assistant can explain it. The driver is in the hospital because he was seriously injured, but the assistant is nowhere to be found.
“The trailer was coming from Tin Can Island and was going to Ibadan when the accident happened.”
Some motorists were said to have passed out due to the traffic, which lasted for more than 10 hours.
A victim, who asked not to be named, said he spent about four hours on the road and had struggled to drive himself safely to the office.
He said, “I had got to Ikeja, when I realised there was traffic congestion on the expressway. I tried to drive through the inner roads, but as I was about to burst out at Berger, I discovered the road was completely blocked.
“I started feeling dizzy at that point but I tried to pull through and drive through the traffic. As I drove into my office compound, I lost control of myself and people started pouring water on my head.”
A witness, who identified himself as Idris, said he observed a passenger in an interstate bus being fanned after she passed out.
He said, “I was in a bus on the Warewa bridge when I saw people fanning a woman, who had passed out. I could not wait to see if she made it or not.”
Another witness, Motunrayo, said a pregnant woman in a commercial bus was observed vomiting.
“She could not bear it any longer. She kept vomiting as people tried hard to save her. She vomited to the point that she became weak. I just hope she did not die,” she said.
A road contractor, Arowolo Oloyede, said he had lost a contract worth millions of naira as a result of the traffic snarl.
He said, “I just lost a business worth millions of naira now. I have been on this road since 8am and I am just arriving at the accident point at 1pm. I think there is no point again. I have parked my car at the roadside and will be turning back.”
Oloyede said accidents were frequent on the road, appealing to the Federal Government to act fast.
A motorist, Lukman Akinkunmi, said he trekked the whole stretch of the Warewa bridge.
“We have been in the traffic for more than two hours. Everywhere is at a standstill,” he said.
Observation has it that the traffic situation became compounded as some vehicles were trapped in potholes.
A Hilux van, with registration number Lagos, KSF 849 XE, was stuck in a pothole at the U-turn, forcing all his passengers to alight.
Scores of commuters were observed by this correspondent stranded at the bus stops as they awaited vehicles.
A female commuter was seen taking a motorcycle at the Arepo bus stop for Berger, Lagos State.
The Sector Commander, Ogun State FRSC, Mr. Adegoke Adetunji, said the corps had cleared the wreckage from the road as of 4.30pm.
He said, “The road is bad at that particular point where the trailer fell. Our men were however able to swiftly address the situation. Traffic is now clear.”
In the Oshodi incident, a 40-foot tanker was said to have been hit by another truck, which caused traffic congestion.
It was learnt that the two trucks blocked the Oshodi Oke end of the road and caused a traffic jam.
Officials of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority and policemen from the Makinde division, were said to have responded to the situation.
A LASTMA official at the scene of the accident narrated that the efforts of the agency to redirect traffic were futile.
He said, “Around 1pm, an unregistered rickety 40-foot tanker was heading towards Oshodi Oke when another 40- foot tanker, with registration number KTU 929 SM, brushed its side.
“Both of them fell and blocked the road. We discovered that both trucks were loaded with goods. The unregistered tanker was overloaded and could not bear the weight of the load and that was on it.
“The first thing that happened was that the strap snapped off and the truck broke immediately the second tanker hit it by the side. It damaged the second container.”
He added that although there was no loss of life, the accident created a gridlock which shutdown the Anthony, and Oshodi areas.
“We have been diverting the traffic towards Olupese, inward Agege Motor road to ease the traffic, but the situation appeared to be getting out of hand,” he added.
The Public Relations Officer, LASTMA, Mr. Mahmud Hassan, appealed to motorists to exercise caution on the road, adding that no life was lost in the incident.
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