A tricycle operator has been crushed to death and two others critically injured in a road accident at Ekoro Junction inward Ile-Iwe, Lagos State, on Wednesday following a multiple-vehicle collision involving a trailer and three other vehicles.

According to the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, LASTMA, the crash occurred after a six-tyre trailer, fully loaded with goods, reportedly suffered a mechanical brake failure, leading to a loss of control.

The out-of-control vehicle crushed an unregistered tricycle and rammed into a Honda Pilot and a Toyota Camry.

In a statement issued on X by the Director of Public Affairs and Enlightenment Department, Adebayo Taofiq, LASTMA explained that preliminary investigations confirmed the trailer’s brake failure as the cause of the incident.

“Preliminary investigations by security operatives revealed that the tragedy was triggered by a mechanical brake failure in the fully loaded trailer, whose driver consequently lost operational control of the vehicle.

The trailer, in its uncontrollable descent, crushed the tricycle beyond recognition before colliding with a Honda Pilot and vaulting over the median to smash into a Toyota Camry and nearby property on the opposing lane,” the statement read.

Taofiq said LASTMA officers arrived promptly at the scene, rescuing two trapped victims and confirming that the tricycle operator died instantly.

“They promptly rescued two severely trapped victims after confirming the instantaneous death of the tricycle operator. The accident scene was immediately cordoned off to prevent secondary incidents and ensure a smooth rescue operation,” he said.

He added that operatives of the Nigeria Police Force and the State Environmental Health Monitoring Unit, SHEMU, were alerted, and officers from the Ile-Epo Police Division later evacuated the deceased and the injured victims to the General Hospital, Ile-Epo, for treatment and official documentation.

During rescue operations, traffic was diverted through Iyana-Meran and Ajasa Command to reduce congestion, while the wrecked vehicles were towed to the police station for investigation.

LASTMA General Manager, Mr Olalekan Bakare-Oki, described the accident as both tragic and avoidable, attributing it to poor vehicle maintenance and excessive speeding by heavy-duty vehicle operators.

He expressed condolences to the bereaved family and appealed to truck and trailer drivers to carry out routine mechanical checks and adhere to speed limits to prevent similar tragedies in the future.