By Abiodun Lawal
In a harrowing tragedy that shook Ogun State on Saturday, 18 lives, including a Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) officer, were lost in a catastrophic multi-vehicle pile-up along the deadly Ikorodu–Sagamu Road.
The crash, which occurred around 4:00 p.m. at Gbaga, involved seven vehicles and left a trail of twisted metal, scorched wreckage, and heartbroken families.
Confirming the nightmare, Mrs. Florence Okpe, FRSC spokesperson in Ogun, said the vehicles involved included a Toyota Hiace bus (AGL 752 YC), two Daf trucks (one unregistered), a Honda car (HT680), a pickup (STF10204), and two motorcycles (AGG 448 Q, PKA 214 WS).
According to Okpe, the carnage was triggered when the driver of the Toyota bus attempted a reckless overtaking manoeuvre, ramming into one of the Daf trucks.
While rescue operations were ongoing, chaos escalated: an unregistered Daf truck suffered a brake failure, careening into the scene and crushing an FRSC officer to death in a split second.
The runaway truck ploughed into a stationary pickup, the Honda car, and two motorcycles, compounding the devastation and amplifying the casualty count.
A total of 22 people were involved in the crash, 18 perished, and four others sustained serious injuries.
The injured were rushed to Dasochris Hospital, Gbaga, while the bodies of the dead were deposited at the Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital morgue, Sagamu.
FRSC Sector Commander, Akinwunmi Fasakin, expressed deep sorrow over the fatal wreck, blaming sheer driver recklessness and lawlessness for the bloodbath.
“This is a tragedy that could have been avoided. Motorists must stop playing Russian roulette with human lives,” Fasakin said, urging strict compliance with traffic rules and speed regulations.
