Another tragic crash at the notorious Soka Junction along the Lagos/Ibadan Expressway has once again drawn attention to the recurring road safety hazards in the area.
Two days ago, a yet-to-be-identified driver lost his life after a 40-foot container-laden truck overturned onto a commercial Nissan Micra taxi. The fatal crash occurred around 2 p.m., near the Soka section of the expressway, a stretch that has become a death trap for motorists and commuters alike.
Eyewitnesses said the truck, which was loaded with bales of clothing, lost control and fell on the Micra car with registration number BDJ 981 ZY, crushing the vehicle completely and trapping the driver inside. Rescue efforts were frantic, with bystanders using machetes to cut through the mangled car in a desperate attempt to retrieve the victim’s remains.
According to reports, the accident caused severe gridlock along the busy route for several hours before the road was eventually cleared.
Confirming the incident, the General Manager of the Oyo State Traffic Management Authority (OYTMA), Mr. Adeoye Adekola, attributed the crash to a combination of speeding, impatience, and the presence of unmarked construction barriers left behind by contractors working on the road.
“I just left the scene. We have removed the corpse and deposited it at Adeoyo Hospital, Ring Road,” Adekola said. “The container, fully loaded with clothes, is still there, but we have detached the truck from the container and moved it to Sanyo Police Station.”
He explained that the absence of reflectors on the concrete barriers made them difficult to see, especially at high speed.
“There are two major factors impatience and speeding by drivers as well as the construction barriers without reflectors. Before the truck driver noticed the barrier, it was already too late. He tried to swerve, but there was a Micra parked nearby to pick up a passenger. In an attempt to avoid it, the truck overturned and crushed the Micra. The driver was the only occupant, and he died on the spot,” he added.
This latest crash is one of several fatal incidents recorded at the same junction in recent months. In June, five people were killed and several others injured when seven vehicles including two Micra taxis, two trucks, a tanker, and two Toyota Camry cars were involved in a multiple collision at the same spot.
Barely a week after that tragedy, another crash claimed a driver’s life when his vehicle rammed into a stationary trailer left from the previous accident.
Residents and frequent commuters have repeatedly called on authorities to address the safety lapses at Soka, citing the lingering presence of construction barriers and poor signage as persistent dangers.
Despite these calls, accidents continue to occur with alarming frequency, turning the Soka stretch of the Lagos/Ibadan Expressway into one of the region’s most perilous road sections.
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