No fewer than 11 persons have died in a fatal road accident after a vehicle plunged off Eruku Bridge along the Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway in Ogun State.
The Ogun State Sector Command of the Federal Road Safety Corps confirmed the incident in a statement issued on Sunday by the command’s spokesperson, Afolabi Odunsi.
According to the FRSC, the lone crash occurred late Saturday night and involved a gold Toyota vehicle with registration number GGE722KJ.
Odunsi disclosed that the vehicle reportedly somersaulted before falling off the bridge, trapping the occupants inside after the doors became locked on impact.
“All 11 occupants of the vehicle, comprising 10 adult males and one adult female, lost their lives in the accident,” he stated.
He explained that rescue operatives from the Itori Unit Command of the FRSC were immediately mobilised to the scene following a distress alert.
The spokesperson added that officials, with support from residents of the area, had to dismantle parts of the vehicle to recover the bodies of the victims.
“The crash involved a gold Toyota vehicle which somersaulted and plunged off the bridge. FRSC personnel, alongside members of the local community, worked tirelessly to recover the victims trapped inside the vehicle,” he said.
Odunsi noted that the remains of the deceased had been deposited at the State Specialist Hospital morgue in Ifo.
Preliminary investigations by the FRSC indicated that suspected drunk driving and overloading may have caused the accident.
Reacting to the tragedy, the Ogun State Sector Commander of the FRSC, Corps Commander Oludare Ogunjobi, urged motorists to exercise caution, particularly while travelling at night.
He also sympathised with the families of the victims over the unfortunate incident.
“The Sector Commander advised road users on the Lagos-Abeokuta corridor to avoid reckless driving, speeding and driving under the influence of alcohol. He also commiserated with the families of those who lost their loved ones,” the statement added.
