Another 40-foot container truck falls on Ikorodu-Sagamu Expressway

ANOTHER 40-FOOT CONTAINER TRUCK FALLS ON
IKORODU-SAGAMU EXPRESSWAY
Ikorodu (Lagos State) – Forty-eight hours after a 40-
foot container truck fell off the Ojuelegba Bridge
along Funsho Williams Avenue , Lagos State, killing
three persons, another incident had also occurred
along the Ikorodu-Sagamu Expressway, on Friday.

According to reports that no life was lost in this latest
incident which occurred at Winners Bus Stop, located
between Lagos State Polytechnic and Jubilee Estate in
Ikorodu, Lagos State.
The truck with a Lagos licence number plate , JJJ-933
XA, was said to be ascending a hill en-route Lagos
road, Ikorodu, when it lost control and fell on its
side.
It fell across the entire breadth of the dual carriage
way and prevented both motorists and other vehicles
from using the major road.
An eyewitness, simply identified as Kabiru, who lives
few meters away from the scene, said “the accident
happened at about 2.30 a.m on Friday.
“We heard a loud noise and when we came to the
scene, we saw that it was a container truck that had
fallen.
“We didn’t see the driver of the truck by the time we
arrived’’.
A resident of the area, Mrs Chioma Amadi said, “This
sort of accident used to happen here, and on some
occasion lives are lost.
“A similar fatal accident happened here about four
years ago which claimed the life of a polytechnic
lecturer’s pregnant wife.
“But the government has failed to address our
plight’’.
Another resident and a business woman, Mrs
Folashade Aina, said that cases of fallen articulated
vehicles were a regular occurrence on the road.
She attributed this to reckless driving, the rickety
trucks used by some of the truck owners and the
deplorable state of the Ikorodu-Sagamu Expressway.
“Incidents of fallen containerised -trucks and petrol
tankers are a regular occurrence here, especially
because of the many companies and industries that
are sited between Lagos and Sagamu in Ogun.
“The trucks are either owned by some of the
companies or their contractors.
“Imagine if such a loaded truck falls on someone’s
car, it will take the grace of God for the occupants to
survive it and be alive.
“We are lucky this one happened early in the
morning; otherwise, it no doubt that it would have
claimed lives.
“We should thank God that no life was lost in this
latest incident.”
Mr Ganiu Adekanbi, a panel-beater in the area
wondered why the recurring cases of fallen trucks in
the area had yet to be addressed.
“On Wednesday, it was at Ojuelegba, today it is here
in Ikorodu. Imagine the thousands of people who ply
this road daily and each time an accident occurs ,the
entire road becomes impassable.
“Think of the ripple economic effect of the delays this
will cause, people are stranded, businesses suffer
and money is lost.
“The Lagos State Government should find a lasting
solution as well as penalise owners of such trucks.”
Adekanbi said that alternative roads should be
constructed to ease the challenges commuters and
motorists faced on the road.
Meanwhile, many passengers who had hitherto
boarded other vehicles either abandoned them or
boarded commercial motorcycles.
On their part, commercial motorcyclists who plied
the route took advantage of the situation to hike
fares.
For instance, the fare on a trip between Odogunyan
Bus-Stop and Garage Roundabout on the Lagos Road,
in Ikorodu, which normally goes for N150 has now
risen to between N200 and N250.
The 40-foot truck had yet to be removed as at the
time of filing this report.
An official of the Lagos State Traffic Management
Agency,(LASTMA) who did not want to be named,
said, “this is going to be a major exercise.
“We are aware of the delays this will cause most
motorists and commuters, but we are doing
everything to ensure that impatient and indiscipline
motorists don’t cause further chaos.
“We are expecting the towing trucks to arrive any
moment from now.” (NAN