UK returnee, brother crushed in Lagos accident

A United Kingdom returnee and his younger brother were the victims of an accident on the Otedola Bridge, Toll gate area of Lagos State.

While the UK returnee, whose identity had not been ascertained, was seriously injured; his brother, Oluwole Giwa, 35, who had come to welcome him home, died.

The accident occurred after a 40-foot trailer lost its brake on the Otedola Bridge area. It was learnt that no fewer than 10 vehicles were affected by the accident, with attendant gridlock.

The vehicles were said to be in a long queue waiting for their turns to buy fuel at a filling station when the trailer rammed into them.

It was gathered that the dead victim was driving his brother from the airport in a Toyota Hilux with number plate, FST 356 XS, when they were caught in the tragedy.

While the younger died on the spot, the UK returnee was said to have sustained injuries and was rushed to a hospital.

An official of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority said, “The accident happened in the early hours of Saturday. The trailer, with number plate, FKJ 519 CF, was heading towards Berger. Its brake suddenly failed.

“It tried to hit the median, but it could not hold the truck, so it rammed into a queue of motorists waiting to buy fuel at a filling station.

“It hit 10 vehicles in the queue. But the victims, who were in a blue Toyota Hilux truck, were badly crushed. The driver died on the spot, while the passenger, who happened to be the driver’s brother, escaped with injuries.”

An official of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency said the deceased had to be extricated with a saw, adding that the vehicle was mangled.

He said, “The two people affected were siblings. The elder brother was coming from the UK, so the younger brother went to pick him from the airport.

“They were heading home when the accident happened. The driver was speeding when the trailer’s brake failed and it rammed into vehicles.

“The victims were badly affected because they were the ones directly in front of the truck. We had to use a saw to cut the vehicle in order to bring out the man that died.”

The survivor was reportedly treated by officials of the Lagos State Ambulance Service at the scene before being transferred to a hospital, while the corpse of the deceased was taken away by men of the Federal Road Safety Corps.

LASTMA officials later towed away the vehicles to ensure free flow of traffic.

The General Manager of LASEMA, Mr. Michael Akindele, who confirmed the incident, advised motorists to be cautious and adhere to safety precautions while driving.

The spokesperson for LASTMA, Mahmud Hassan, said, “Trailer drivers and indeed all motorists and commercial drivers, should always check the condition of their vehicles before putting them on the road to avert avoidable loss of lives.”