MIDNIGHT TRAGEDY IN LAGOS: TWO DEAD, TWO CRITICALLY INJURED IN SEPARATE CRASHES ON OJEDOLA BRIDGE AND THIRD MAINLAND

Lagos was thrown into grief on Monday as two people lost their lives and two others sustained serious injuries in separate late-night and early-morning crashes on major highways in the state.

The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), in a statement issued by the Director of Public Affairs and Enlightenment, Adebayo Taofiq, confirmed that both crashes occurred within three hours of each other in the early hours of Monday, December 8, 2025, prompting renewed calls for motorists to obey speed limits and safety regulations.

According to LASTMA’s preliminary investigation, the first accident happened around 2:30 a.m. on Otedola Bridge, inward Berger, along the busy Lagos–Ibadan Expressway.

An unregistered vehicle, carrying two occupants including the driver, was reportedly travelling at what officials described as “an egregiously unlawful and hazardous velocity” before ramming into a moving, heavily-loaded trailer.

The impact was catastrophic—both occupants died instantly, while the driver of the trailer fled the scene with the articulated vehicle before rescue officials arrived.

LASTMA’s 24-hour Night-Gang Response Team immediately moved in, clearing the mangled remains of the vehicle and evacuating the bodies from the highway to prevent additional crashes. Officers from the Isheri Police Division provided security support, while the State Environmental Health Monitoring Unit (SHEMU) conveyed the remains in accordance with public health procedures.

Barely three hours later, at about 5:00 a.m., a second crash occurred on the Third Mainland Bridge, near the University of Lagos (UNILAG) waterfront, inward Lagos Island.

The collision involved an empty tanker and a sachet-water delivery van with registration number SMK 67 XH. The crash left two occupants severely injured.

Personnel of the Lagos State Ambulance Service (LASAMBUS) administered emergency medical care on-site before rushing the victims to a nearby medical facility for intensive treatment.

In his reaction, LASTMA General Manager, Olalekan Bakare-Oki, described the fatalities as “tragic and wholly preventable,” expressing deep condolences to the families of the deceased.

He warned that reckless speeding, especially on major bridges and highways, continues to claim innocent lives, despite repeated safety campaigns and enforcement measures.

> “Compliance with government-approved speed limits is indispensable for the preservation of human life and the avoidance of catastrophic, avoidable tragedies,”
Bakare-Oki said.

The General Manager commended the swift intervention by LASTMA’s Night-Gang Teams, noting that the agency’s round-the-clock surveillance and rapid-response operations will continue into the new year with “unwavering vigour,” in line with the Lagos State Government’s drive to safeguard motorists and maintain orderly traffic.

Motorists Urged to Drive Responsibly

Despite back-to-back emergencies, LASTMA officers remained on duty at both crash scenes to regulate traffic flow, prevent secondary accidents, and restore safety to the affected corridors.

The agency, once again, urged motorists to drive responsibly, avoid excessive speeding, and observe essential road safety protocols—particularly at night.