Driver killed as truck crashes into pedestrian bridge in Lagos

One person has been confirmed dead after a truck crashed into the pillar of a pedestrian bridge in the Ikorodu area of Lagos.

The accident, which occurred in the early hours of Wednesday at the Oke-Riya axis of Ikorodu, led to a shutdown of the route for hours.

According to a statement by Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, permanent secretary, Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), the driver of the truck was the sole fatality recorded.

“Upon arrival of the Agency’s LRTs to the scene of incident, an articulated truck conveying a 40ft container was discovered involved in a lone accident at the above mentioned location,” the statement reads.

“The accident was attributed to brake failure, loss of control that led to crash of the truck and its 40ft container on the main road, hitting the BRT demacation and pedestrian bridge pillar, which effectively shut down the entire expressway.

“The trapped truck driver in the cabin who lost his life in the incident has been extricated with light duty rescue equipment in the ongoing operation, and duly handed over to officials from the State Environmental Health Monitoring Unit (SEHMU).

“The Agency’s sophisticated heavy-duty equipment are in the process of recovering the crashed articulated vehicle, while an Agency’s flat body truck has equally been deployed for recovery of the 40ft container.

“Motorists playing that axis and those with intent of traversing that area are implored to be patient and use alternative routes as directed by emergency responders, as traffic has been diverted during this recovery period.”