Two individuals sustained injuries after a driver, reportedly distracted by a mobile phone, lost control of his vehicle and plunged into a canal along the Lagos-Badagry Expressway. The incident occurred on the Mowo axis inward Badagry on Monday morning.
Details of the Accident
The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) confirmed that the lone accident involved a Lexus Jeep with registration number JJJ 19 KK. Preliminary investigations indicate that the driver lost concentration while using a mobile phone, causing him to lose control of the vehicle. The car veered off the expressway, somersaulted, and landed in the canal. LASTMA officials noted that excessive speeding exacerbated the situation, contributing to the severity of the crash.
Rescue and Medical Response
LASTMA personnel, in collaboration with officers from the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), launched an immediate rescue operation at the scene. The driver suffered severe internal injuries, while a female passenger sustained a fracture to her left arm. Both victims were extricated from the wreckage and rushed to Ola-Oki Medical Facility in Ibereko, inward Badagry, for urgent medical treatment. LASTMA operatives also conducted evacuation and recovery operations to remove the damaged vehicle and prevent secondary accidents along the busy corridor.
Despite the incident, traffic flow along the axis remained largely uninterrupted due to effective traffic management and the prompt deployment of officers to the area.
Official Reaction and Warning
Reacting to the accident, the General Manager of LASTMA, Olalekan Bakare-Oki, reiterated the agency’s warning against speeding, reckless driving, and the use of mobile phones while driving. He stated, "It is profoundly disheartening that despite sustained public enlightenment campaigns and continuous road safety advocacy by the government, some motorists still engage in the dangerous practice of operating mobile phones while driving, thereby endangering not only their own lives but also those of other road users."
Bakare-Oki urged motorists to remain focused while driving, avoid distractions, obey speed limits, and comply with all road safety regulations to prevent avoidable crashes and loss of lives.
