Three Die in Fiery SUV-Truck Collision in Lagos
By Olasunkanmi Akoni
Late Sunday night, a tragic accident occurred at Mandilas Bus Stop, Iyana Isolo, off the Oshodi-Apapa Expressway, when a speeding Mercedes Benz SUV collided with a stationary truck, resulting in the deaths of three people. The SUV, carrying two passengers, burst into flames upon impact.
Eyewitness Mr. Abdulfatai Wasiu attributed the fatalities to the high speed of the SUV before it crashed into the truck. A male passenger was among those who were severely burnt and succumbed to the injuries sustained in the collision.
Dr. Femà Oke-Osanyitolu, the Permanent Secretary of the Lagos State Emergency Management Authority (LASEMA), confirmed the incident. Emergency responders arrived at the scene at 11:38 PM, finding the SUV with an unknown registration number involved in a collision with a truck transporting a 40-foot container.
“Preliminary investigation revealed that the SUV’s high speed led to the collision, causing a fire to erupt from the car’s engine,” explained Oke-Osanyitolu.
By 9 AM on Monday, normal traffic had resumed in the area after the removal of the three victims’ remains by officials from the State Environmental Health Monitoring Unit (SEHMU), who transported them to the morgue. The truck and the burnt SUV were towed to the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) Yard.
Emergency response teams at the scene included the Fire Unit, Lagos State Rescue and Fire Service, SEHMU, LASTMA, Nigeria Police, and Lagos State Ambulance Service (LASAMBUS).
