By Daniel Oluwatobiloba Popoola
The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) has rescued a truck driver trapped after a fully loaded containerised truck overturned along Shagamu Road in Ikorodu.
The incident occurred around midnight on Sunday, 1 February, 2026 at Oke Gbegun, near Lagos State Polytechnic (LASPOTECH), when the 40-foot container truck suffered a brake failure, lost control and toppled, pinning the driver inside the tractor head and disrupting traffic flow in the area.
Confirming the development in a post on its official X handle, LASTMA said its operatives arrived at the scene while the driver was still trapped in the cabin, describing the operation as delicate due to the weight of the container and the angle of the crash.
“When we got the call, the driver was still inside the cabin. It was a tense situation because the truck was fully loaded and the angle of the overturn made rescue challenging,” the agency said. “Our team moved quickly to stabilise the vehicle and free the driver, as the safety of motorists and the trapped driver was our top priority.”
Following the alert, the LASTMA Rescue and Recovery Team immediately deployed its Super Metro 002 high-capacity recovery truck to commence clearance operations.
Consequently, traffic along the corridor was severely affected, prompting officials to divert vehicles to alternative routes to ease congestion.
“Traffic was heavily affected, and we had to divert vehicles onto alternate routes. The main road was partially blocked, but we coordinated with traffic officers to ensure emergency access,” LASTMA said.
After about an hour of coordinated rescue efforts, the driver was successfully rescued alive, bringing relief to commuters and residents stranded in the early-morning traffic.
Meanwhile, LASTMA disclosed that recovery operations were ongoing, noting that a crane was being awaited to safely lift the container from the roadway.
“We are still waiting for a crane to safely lift the container. In the meantime, our team continues to manage traffic and ensure there are no secondary accidents,” the agency added.
Subsequently, the flatbed truck was recovered, while the container box was dragged off the road, allowing two lanes to resume normal traffic flow.
LASTMA urged motorists plying Shagamu Road to exercise caution, obey traffic diversions and cooperate with officers on duty as recovery operations continue.
