A tricyclist lost his life on Wednesday after a truck rammed into three vehicles at Ekoro Junction, along Abule-Egba/Command Road in Lagos.

Eyewitnesses said the accident occurred early in the morning when the truck reportedly lost control and collided with a tricycle and two other cars.

According to one of the witnesses, identified simply as Abiodun, the impact was severe, crushing the tricyclist’s head and leaving two other drivers with serious injuries.

“It was a terrible scene. The trailer lost its brakes and ran into a tricycle and two other vehicles. The tricyclist died instantly, while others sustained serious injuries. Police officers and LASTMA officials arrived shortly after to recover the body and assist the injured,” Abiodun recounted.

A police source confirmed that the injured victims were the drivers of the two other vehicles involved, while the tricyclist died instantly.

In a statement released on Wednesday, the spokesperson for the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), Adebayo Taofiq, said preliminary investigations showed that the accident resulted from brake failure.

According to Taofiq, the vehicles involved included a six-tyre trailer (registration number AGL 514 XD), a Honda Pilot (FST 992 DV), a Toyota Camry (EKY 753 JA), and an unregistered tricycle.

He explained,

“The crash was triggered by a mechanical brake failure in the fully loaded trailer, causing the driver to lose control. The trailer crushed the tricycle beyond recognition, collided with a Honda Pilot, crossed the median, and smashed into a Toyota Camry and nearby property.

“LASTMA operatives arrived promptly, rescued two trapped victims, and confirmed the death of the tricycle operator. The scene was secured to prevent further incidents and allow emergency operations to continue.”

Taofiq added that the crash caused temporary traffic congestion, which was later eased through diversion efforts.

The General Manager of LASTMA, Olalekan Bakare-Oki, described the incident as “tragic and avoidable,” stressing the need for strict compliance with traffic regulations and speed limits.

“This unfortunate event could have been prevented if proper mechanical checks and speed control measures were in place,” Bakare-Oki said, while extending condolences to the deceased’s family and wishing the injured victims a quick recovery.

In a related statement, the Permanent Secretary of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, confirmed that the truck was conveying beverages and bottled water when it lost control and fell on a stationary tricycle.

He said the tricyclist died instantly, while two other occupants of nearby vehicles sustained injuries.

“Upon arrival at the scene, emergency responders found a Volkswagen truck (AGL 514 XD), loaded with beverages and bottled water, that had fallen on a tricycle. Investigation revealed that the truck suffered brake failure while descending the road, leading to the fatal collision,” Oke-Osanyintolu stated.

He added that the incident also damaged two other vehicles parked by the roadside.

Fatal accidents involving trucks and trailers have become increasingly frequent in different parts of the country. Earlier in the week, a similar crash involving a cement truck claimed the life of a minor and left three others injured along the Ilaro–Ibese Expressway in Ogun State.

In another incident on October 4, five people were killed when a truck crushed a tricycle at the Alapoka axis of the Papalanto–Ilaro Road, also in Ogun State.