A granite-laden articulated truck travelling at high speed on Thursday rammed into a Toyota saloon car at Eleko Junction, Lagos State, killing the driver instantly and critically injuring his wife.

The truck, reportedly heading from the Epe axis, allegedly suffered brake failure near the junction, causing the driver to lose control. The vehicle veered off course and collided with the Toyota car coming from Ajah towards Epe, according to eyewitness accounts.

Confirming the incident, the spokesperson of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), Taofeek Adebayo, said the force of the collision caused the truck to topple onto the smaller car, crushing it.

“The body of the Toyota driver was trapped in the wreckage but was extricated through the joint efforts of LASTMA officials, the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), and public-spirited bystanders,” Adebayo said. “He was pronounced dead at the scene, while his wife sustained life-threatening injuries and was rushed for urgent medical attention.”

He added that the remains of the deceased and the injured woman were evacuated by FRSC ambulance services, while the truck driver fled the scene shortly after the incident, evading arrest.

Operatives of the Akodo Police Division provided security and maintained order during rescue and recovery operations.

The General Manager of LASTMA, Olalekan Bakare-Oki, expressed condolences to the bereaved family, describing the crash as a tragic and preventable loss.

In a related incident, Adebayo disclosed that a 33,000-litre fuel tanker caught fire around midnight at Ile-Zik inward Magboro on the Lagos–Abeokuta Expressway. He said LASTMA rescue officials, working with the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, swiftly contained the blaze, preventing a major disaster.