In addition, the government instructed the Traffic Management Agency to arrest truck drivers who crossed the routes.

The instruction was given in a letter to the general manager of LASTMA from Sola Giwa, the governor’s special adviser on transportation.

LASTMA posted the letter on its Twitter account, with the subject line “Ban on use of Dorman Long and Ojuelegba bridges by articulated truck drivers.” The letter was dated February 6, 2023.

The letter read, “Sequel to the frequent road accidents along Dorman Long and Ojuelegba Bridges as a result of the activities of articulated vehicles resulting to loss of lives and property in the State and in a bid to prevent further casualties, it is imperative for the State Government to restrict the articulated vehicles from the Dorma Long and Ojuelegba Bridges their movement to the State Logistics routes (Oshodi-Apapa Expressway) and under the bridge to link Ikorodu Road then connect Agege Motor Road.

“Sadly, on Sunday, 29th, January 2023 another tragedy which involved road accident occurred on the Ojuelegba bridge involving a container-laden truck which fell of the bridge and crushed a commercial bus on the ground which claimed Nine (9) lives and several others injured. Specifically, the State Government has observed that the rising curve of the bridge is not designed to allow passage of long, spacious and heavy vehicles.

“In view of the foregoing, you are directed to apprehend articulated trucks that pass through Dorman Long and Ojuelegbe bridges in accordance with pronouncement of the State Government, in a bid to reduce the spate of avoidable accidents occasioned by heavy duty and articulated trucks accessing the bridges in order to ensure safety, and security of lives and property across the state.”

The incident occurred at Jonathan Coker Railway Level Crossing in the Fagba Area of Iju Ishaga, Lagos State around 8.52 am.

Law enforcement agents are currently on the ground attending to the accident, meanwhile, casualties are yet to be recorded before the press time.

The accident has led to vehicular traffic in the area with motorists advised to seek alternative routes.

The Sector Commander, Mr Olusegun Ogungbemide, told journalist that the safety of other road users was being endangered by the recklessness of truck and trailer drivers on highways in the state.

Ogungbemide state this in less than 24hrs after the Lagos State government through The Commissioner for Transportation, Dr Frederic Oladeinde announced that trailer and truck movement will be restricted to night operations between 9pm-6am.

The commander while expressing delight in the development, said the step would ensure safety and enhance traffic management.

“What is paramount is the safety of the road users.

“That is what we have been battling in the last few years as regards the havoc these tankers and trailers have been causing on our roads.

“It is necessary, it is needful for us to reduce the rate of hazards on the road.

“The collateral damage and human lives trucks claim should make any government control their movement.

“Nothing can be exchanged for lives being lost on the road,’’ he said.

The FRSC boss said that huge casualties had been recorded in truck-related accidents, mostly caused by human error.

“Most of the crashes we have on the road is not because the road is bad or the vehicle is bad but because most drivers are not proficient also.

“By the time I am availed with the template for various routes trucks and trailer will be restricted from and the time durations for operations, we are going to work on these.

“Whoever that flouts the rule will be sanctioned in the line with the law.

“We are going to be doing sampling enforcement that will sensitise other road users that government is quite serious,’’ he said.

He, further assured that FRSC will team up with Lagos state government to ensure all forms of massacre on the state road is reduced to a minimal level.

“FRSC will work together with Lagos State Government to reduce killings on the road by trucks.

“People will be amazed by the result of this development in the next few days,’’ he assured.

One other person was badly injured in the accident.

Sector Commander, Federal Road Safety Corps in Ogun State, Ahmed Umar, confirmed the incident to the News Agency of Nigeria today in Abeokuta.

According to Umar, the incident happened around 7am and was caused by excessive speeding on the part of the jeep driver.

The sector commander explained that eight men and a woman were involved in the accident, noting that five of the men and the woman died.

He stated that the driver of the Honda Pilot Jeep, marked LSR 525 FY, was on “excessive speed, lost control of the vehicle and subsequently rammed into the moving truck with registration number KRV 716 ZV.”

Umar added that the injured passenger was taken to Idera Hospital, Ogere, for treatment while the deceased were deposited at FOS morgue in Ipara.

The sector commander advised motorists to drive cautiously, obey traffic rules, avoid dangerous driving, excessive speeding and wrongful overtaking.

The accident happened when four vehicles involving two trucks, a tanker and a commercial bus had a collision.

Director-General of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), Dr Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu confirmed this incident in a statement issued on Wednesday morning.

Dr Oke-Osanyintolu confirmed that the two people who had died following the accident were both adult female, including the other victims who sustained degrees of injuries.

The statement read: “The agency received distress calls about the above incident and upon arrival at the scene of incident, discovered that a four (4) vehicle accident had occurred comprising two tipper trucks, one with registration number AKM-741ZT, a second tipper with unknown registration number, a loaded tanker with unknown registration number and  commercial bus with unknown registration.

“The resultant collision, a result of reckless driving left occupants of the bus trapped within. With the use of the agency’s light rescue equipment, six (6) people were extricated from the bus. They were found to have sustained varying degrees of injuries and unfortunately two (2) adult female lost their lives at the scene of incident.

“Agency responders, the LRU ambulance, Lasambus, Nigeria Police, Lagos Fire service and LRU fire unit were joint responders at the scene of incident.

“Operation is ongoing.

“Updates will follow”

The unidentified 26-year-old woman was in her car, in the city of Port Elizabeth, at about 2 p.m. on Tuesday when a truck’s brake apparently stopped working. Parked by its driver as he picked up his kids from school in the area, the truck rolled away, over a ledge and onto her car down below.

“When he returned to his truck, he noticed it was no longer parked where he had left it,” Sandra Janse van Rensburg, a police captain in the area, told HeraldLive. “He then noticed that the truck had rolled forward and collided with an Opel Adam that was traveling in Diaz Road towards CJ Langenhoven Drive.”

The woman was trapped inside her car for almost 40 minutes, the BBC reported. Photos of the accident show the woman’s car nearly flattened.

“The truck was squashing both her and her car. Parts of it had to be cut off in order to free her,” Shawn Herbst, a spokesman for emergency rescue service Netcare 911, told the news outlet. Rescuers used hydraulic tools to remove the woman from the car.

One she was freed, she was transported to the hospital with multiple injuries, including fractures, authorities said. The truck driver, who was not identified, is said to be under investigation for reckless and negligent driving.