Three people died instantly, and thirteen others sustained injuries from a road crash that took place at Car Wash, Oworosoki Expressway exit of the Third Mainland Bridge on Tuesday morning.
The accident involved a truck belonging to the Lagos State Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) and two commercial vehicles popularly known as ‘Danfo' and ‘Molue.' According to eyewitnesses, the Molue (a fabricated 44-seater bus) lost control and ran into a moving Danfo bus. The Danfo Bus (15 seater bus) subsequently swerved into the LAWMA truck which was about to exit the express way.
"A LAWMA truck wanted to make a U-turn to collect dustbin under the bridge. He did not check his mirror well and as it was making the U-turn, a Molue bus don hit a bus wey dey come. That is how the bus run into the truck," said Tunde Ibrahim, a recharge card seller who witnessed the incident while coming to work at 9am yesterday.
The result of the collusion completely wrecked the Danfo bus and resulted in the instantaneous death of two passengers, while a LAWMA staff died while receiving first aid treatment. Most of the injured, who were coming from Lagos Island where they went to buy goods, were evacuated to St Daniel's Hospital, located about 100m away from the scene of the accident. A few were taken to Gbagada General Hospital. Adewale Ogunkoya, the Administrator of St Daniel's, confirmed that thirteen injured persons were brought into the hospital..
The state of the injured
"Yes we had them brought in about two and half hours ago," he said. "We were able to admit 8 out of the 13 but the remaining 5 were in very critical condition. They had fractures, some were bleeding from the nose and mouth, while others could not regain consciousness. We had to just administer first-aid to and transfer them to the Gbagada General Hospital with the help of the Lagos State Ambulance Service (LASAMBUS). All 8 have been stabilized. They are presently coming out of shock and most of them are now conscious."
"The victims sustained fractures on the leg and lacerations on the body and the head, but the hospital was able to stabilize the four men and women, supply them with drip and stitch the areas where they were badly cut. We felt bad, the moment we heard about it, and we alerted the whole hospital staff to get ready for the emergency because the patients may be brought because it happened very close to us, so we were ready. Some could not talk because they were in a state of shock He added the patients where attended to immediately without billing," he added.
A mother of one of the victims, Iyabo Animashaun, expressed gratitude to God for sparing the life of her daughter. "I just want to thank God that she did not have more than a gash on her head," she said. "It may look nasty but at least she is alive. The doctors just want her here for some time to make sure everything is okay before she is discharged."
At the Gbagada General Hospital, the situation of the victims who were referred there could not be ascertained as the hospital's administrative officers refused to left NEXT see some of the injured passengers. One of the administrative officers, who requested anonymity, confirmed that some accident victims were brought in but could not comment on their condition as he was not involved in their treatment. "Even if they are here, how do you expect us to know how they are doing? Are we their doctors?"
Happily injured
Florence Shotola, a 48-year-old trader who was in the Danfo bus, said she was coming from Adeniyi Adele in Lagos Island, and was on her way to Mile 12. "I have four children, I am very happy I did not die. I am better now thank God for the doctor," she said. Also one of the youngest victims in the hospital, 18-year-old Shifaru Abduasalam, who had bruises on her left eye and her left hand. The young mother, who is also a trader, told NEXT that she is very happy the accident did not cause the death of her child.
The identity of the three persons who died in the accident could not be determined as at press time. The wrecked vehicles resulted in several hours of traffic congestion along the mainland section of the Third Mainland Bridge before officials of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority arrived to clear the vehicles.
