A driver, whose identity was yet to be disclosed, has lost his life, alongside that of his passenger. The duo died in a fatal accident on the Sagamu-Abeokuta Expressway on Wednesday, October 16, 2024, after their vehicle collided with a stationary truck.
The incident occurred around 8 pm in the Onipepeye area, involving five occupants of a Mitsubishi Space Wagon.
The Ogun State Police reported that the crash resulted in the immediate death of both the driver and a female passenger, while the remaining three passengers in the car sustained varying degrees of injuries.
Emergency responders swiftly transported the injured to a nearby hospital, while the bodies of the deceased were taken to the morgue for an autopsy.
According to the police, the Mitsubishi, travelling from Sagamu to Abeokuta, crashed into a Mercedes truck that was parked on the roadside due to a mechanical fault.
The driver of the Mitsubishi failed to notice the stationary vehicle in time, leading to a loss of control and a rear-end collision. The impact caused severe damage to both vehicles.
Babatunde Akinbiyi, a spokesperson for the Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Agency (TRACE), confirmed that the driver of the truck fled the scene shortly after the crash, abandoning the vehicle on the highway.
He extended condolences to the families of the victims and urged drivers to exercise caution, especially at night, to prevent such avoidable tragedies.
Authorities also reiterated the importance of safe driving practices, warning against excessive speed and the dangers of travelling on poorly lit roads at night. The incident has, however, brought attention to the need for heightened road safety awareness among motorists.