No fewer than 18 persons were reportedly killed in a fatal auto crash involving three vehicles on Saturday, 2nd July 2022, at the Isara axis of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.
Seven other victims of the accident, comprising five male adults and a male child, sustained varying degrees of injuries.
The accident, which occurred at about 10:20 pm, involved two Mazda buses and a Previa bus, have been attributed to route and speed violations, following which the Corps Marshal, Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Dr Boboye Oyeyemi, warned road users to, as much as possible, avoid night journeys.
The FRSC boss stated that driving at night was a delicate venture, given poor visibility, excessive speed and other unhealthy driving behaviour, “that are associated with driving during the dark hours on Nigerian roads”.
Investigation conducted by the FRSC revealed that the unfortunate but avoidable mishap involved three vehicles conveying a total of 25 persons, comprising six male adults, one female adult, one male child, and 17 unidentified victims, who were burnt beyond recognition.
“Out of the above number, 18 people were killed while seven persons, comprising five male adults, a female adult and a male child sustained various degrees of injuries”, Oyeyemi said.
According to the Corps Marshal, at rescue time, four more charred bodies were found while clearing the obstructions, which included an unburnt victim, whose remains were found opposite the crash scene.
He said the FRSC rescue team had cleared the obstructions and restored the free flow of traffic on the route while calling on commuters to always plan their trips and ensure that their journey falls within the daytime, to minimise the level of casualties recorded as a result of night trips.
“The FRSC toll-free line 122 and the National Traffic Radio 107.1 FM is always available for all road users to report emergencies at all time”, Oyeyemi added.