Massive gridlock grinds Lagos-Ibadan Expressway after fatal Kara Bridge crash

As of 9:43 p.m., traffic on the Kara Bridge, inward Mowe, along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, has built up into a major gridlock following a fatal multiple-vehicle crash involving five articulated trucks earlier on Thursday.

On social media, frustrated commuters vented their anger as the gridlock worsened late into the night.

On X (formerly Twitter), a user, Alfred Akhibi, directly tackled Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, lamenting, “Must we go through this every time? So when something happens on Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, the entire Lagos should suffer for it? What kind of traffic is this, Your Excellency!”

Another user, Ebunoluwa Abidemi, expressed similar frustration, writing, “#LASTMA Lagos-Ibadan Expressway traffic this night is from another planet… spent six good hours from Lekki to Berger.”

At least eight persons, including a police inspector, have been confirmed dead in the crash, which occurred at the border between Lagos and Ogun States.

Confirming the incident at the scene, the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Moshood Jimoh, described it as “a tragic multiple accident” that has drawn the combined response of several emergency agencies.

“We have a case of multiple accident at the border between Ogun and Lagos State,” Jimoh told journalists.

“Five vehicles were involved, all articulated vehicles. As early as 5 a.m., we have been on it, and we have other agencies here assisting us. We have LASTMA, the Road Safety Corps, and other security agencies.”

Preliminary investigations, according to the police, revealed that the accident was caused by a trailer that suffered brake failure, which led to a chain collision.

Jimoh also confirmed that one of his officers, a police inspector, was among the victims.

“It’s very unfortunate that we lost one of our police inspectors who came with our advance team to salvage the situation,” he said.

He warned drivers of articulated vehicles against reckless driving and poor vehicle maintenance, which he blamed for recurring fatal crashes on major highways.

“If they are not reckless in their driving habit, we won’t have this kind of accident,” he cautioned.

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