By Newsmata
It was a harrowing and frustrating experience for motorists and commuters on the ever-busy Benin-Lagos Expressway before Okada Junction on Saturday as they were stranded for several hours due to gridlock caused by multiple accidents involving four articulated vehicles and a motorcyclist.
The accident, which was said to have occurred on Thursday, was attributed to dangerous driving in which a motorcyclist was also involved. However, angry motorists who had been held up because of the accident, mounted pressure on the owners of a towing vehicle working at the accident scene to leave to free the gridlock.
Though some policemen were seen at the accident scene, they could not do anything to calm the situation, but the towing vehicle later bowed to pressure and vacated the scene. Consequently, the traffic eased, and the hitherto stranded motorists drove away from the chaotic scene.
A commuter who claimed to have witnessed the accident which he described as very serious, doubted if the motorcyclist survived. The eyewitness, who simply identified himself as Ade, said, “The accident which is causing this gridlock happened on Thursday. It involved four articulated vehicles and two of them were on top speed when it happened. “What happened today (Saturday) is that a towing vehicle is clearing the damaged vehicles, and it has taken up the small remaining space for vehicles to pass. However, he was prevailed upon to leave so that stranded vehicles can leave. I hope that this will serve as a lesson for impatient motorists.”
A driver who pleaded anonymity, said that the evaluation of the vehicles should not have been done in the afternoon when the road is always busy. According to him, “It is good that the vehicles are being taken away from the road, but this should have been done early in the morning and not in the afternoon when the road is busy.”
The Edo State Command of the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC), Cyril Mathew, said officers and Corp Marshalls had been on ground to ensure free flow of traffic on the highway. Mathew said the gridlock was caused by an accident involving some trucks carrying iron, adding that they were working to remove the obstruction to ensure free flow of traffic.
He said in the meantime, officers of the Corp had diverted the traffic to ease the suffering of road users. He called on motorists to always imbibe discipline while on the road so that they can get to their destination safely.