On Saturday night, a middle-aged man, who has yet to be identified, was crushed to death by a truck that fell off Ojuelegba Bridge in Lagos.
The man was driving a Honda Accord when the truck crashed into it.
He was found dead in the wreckage by rescue workers.
It took some time, according to witnesses, to get the man out. But when he was found, he was dead.
In Ojuelegba, accidents caused by falling trailers or unlatched containers are common.
Because the bridge lacked side rails, four such incidents occurred in the previous 12 months.
Several Twitter users chastised the Lagos State Government for failing to take action to prevent avoidable accidents.
“Every single year, containers always fall at Ojuelegba and no sensible person in government has thought to use their head. Bunch of fools across board”, wrote “the stoned Immaculate”.
“How is it this hard for Lagos state Government to stop these Ojuelegba accidents? Stop the fucking trailers from using the bridge”, said @Collins_Okpe.
LagosTrafficreports suggested: “I think it’s time to stop Containers&Lorries from using Ojuelegba bridge. Lagos State govt must not witness another casualty again. A barricade will do”.
Accidents on the Ojuelegba bridge have become a recurring source of concern.
Containers that have not been properly latched onto trucks continue to fall off the delicate bridge, frequently landing on unfortunate vehicles beneath the bridge.
It is important to note that the bridge’s slanted design poses a risk to articulated vehicles.
This implies that preventing trucks from using the bridge is the best precaution.
A height barrier will be an effective way to keep trucks and other articulated vehicles off the road. In the same vein, commercial bus drivers must immediately cease indiscriminate parking on the adjoining roads by the bridge.
Other motorists, particularly truckers, are discouraged from using that stretch of road due to indiscriminate parking by Danfo drivers who take pleasure in obstructing traffic flow.
When that section is cleared and traffic flows freely, there will be no reason for any truck driver to use the bridge. The implementation of the outlined measures should prevent a recurrence of this unfortunate tragedy. We hope that the Lagos State government will take proactive measures to protect road users’ lives.
