The crash, which occurred in the early hours around 6 a.m., involved several vehicles, including articulated trucks and private cars. It brought traffic on the busy highway to a near standstill.
Thousands of commuters and motorists were stranded for hours on Friday morning following a multiple-vehicle crash on Kara Bridge along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, causing a major traffic gridlock that extended as far back as Otedola Bridge.
The crash, which occurred in the early hours around 6 a.m., involved several vehicles, including articulated trucks and private cars. It brought traffic on the busy highway to a near standstill.
However, the impacted section of the road was heading towards OPIC, a crucial route connecting Lagos to the rest of southwestern Nigeria.
Officials of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) and other emergency responders arrived shortly after the crash to manage the situation and attend to the injured.
While no fatalities have been officially reported, several individuals sustained injuries.
“We recorded an accident on the Kara Bridge inward OPIC on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway with multiple vehicles,” LASTMA confirmed in a post on X.
“LASTMA personnel and other emergency responders have swung into action to rescue the victims and also clear the affected vehicles.”
The agency added that the traffic backlog extended significantly due to the accident and appealed to commuters for patience.
“The incident has dragged traffic backwards to Otedola Bridge. Patience is required from the road users,” it said.
Eyewitnesses said the crash was likely caused by a truck’s brake failure, which caused it to ram into vehicles ahead.
In an update around noon, LASTMA reported partial restoration of traffic flow, saying, “Some of the vehicles affected have been successfully recovered from the road, two lanes are now opened for vehicular movement inward OPIC. Efforts are still ongoing to evacuate the articulated truck as well.”
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