A motorist was killed and his wife critically injured on Thursday morning after a granite-laden articulated truck toppled onto their Toyota saloon car at Eleko Junction along the Lekki-Ajah Expressway in Lagos State.
The tragic incident was confirmed in a statement issued by the Director of Public Affairs and Enlightenment Department of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), Adebayo Taofiq.
According to preliminary security briefings cited in the statement, the truck, heavily loaded with granite and travelling at excessive speed from the Epe axis, suffered a catastrophic brake failure as it approached Eleko Junction.
The mechanical malfunction reportedly led to an abrupt loss of control, causing the truck to veer off its lane and collide forcefully with the Toyota saloon car, which was heading inward Epe from Ajah.
The impact of the collision caused the truck to overturn, crushing the smaller vehicle and trapping the driver inside the mangled wreckage.
Officials of the traffic agency, in collaboration with personnel of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) and with assistance from bystanders, carried out an emergency rescue operation.
The male driver was, however, confirmed dead at the scene, while his wife sustained life-threatening injuries and was rushed to a nearby medical facility for urgent treatment.
The agency disclosed that the truck driver fled immediately after the crash. Operatives of the Akodo Police Division were deployed to secure the scene during and after the rescue efforts.
Reacting to the incident, the General Manager of the LASTMA, Olalekan Bakare-Oki, described the crash as avoidable. He emphasised the critical importance of regular vehicle maintenance, particularly for heavy-duty trucks, and warned against reckless driving and excessive speed.
Bakare-Oki urged motorists and commercial drivers to ensure that their vehicles are roadworthy before embarking on any journey, noting that mechanical negligence and traffic infractions continue to endanger lives on Lagos highways.