A motorist has died and his wife was critically injured after a truck carrying granite crashed into their car on the Lekki–Ajah Expressway in Lagos, Nigerian authorities said on Thursday.
The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) said the crash occurred early in the morning at Eleko Junction. According to preliminary findings, the articulated truck was travelling from the Epe area when it reportedly suffered brake failure, causing the driver to lose control.
The truck veered off its lane and slammed into a Toyota saloon car travelling in the opposite direction. The impact caused the truck to overturn and crush the car beneath it.
Emergency responders from LASTMA and the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), assisted by bystanders, worked to free the victims from the wreckage. The male driver was pronounced dead at the scene, while his wife, who was in the front passenger seat, sustained severe injuries and was taken to hospital for urgent treatment.
Authorities said the truck driver fled the scene following the crash. Police officers from the Akodo Division secured the area and supported rescue and recovery operations.
LASTMA General Manager Olalekan Bakare-Oki expressed condolences to the victim’s family and said the agency would continue enforcing traffic regulations to prevent similar incidents.
In a separate incident, emergency services responded to a fuel tanker fire along the Lagos–Abeokuta Expressway near Ile-Zik, inward Magboro, shortly after midnight.
The 33,000-litre tanker caught fire, prompting a rapid response from LASTMA and the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service. Firefighters were able to contain and extinguish the blaze before it spread.
Traffic officials diverted vehicles to the Bus Rapid Transit corridor to allow emergency access and reduce congestion. The road was later reopened after firefighting and recovery efforts were completed.
