Two separate accidents in the Ojota area of Lagos State and on the Sagamu-Benin Expressway on Saturday claimed three lives.
The spokesperson for the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, Adebayo Taofiq, and the spokesperson for the Ogun State Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Agency, Babatunde Akinbiyi, disclosed this in separate statements on Sunday.
According to Taofiq, a pedestrian lost his life after being crushed by a truck while trying to cross the expressway at the Ojota bus stop in Lagos State.
Taofiq noted that the truck, while driving on the carriageway of the expressway, hit the pedestrian, who was violating the use of the pedestrian bridge.
He said, “Preliminary findings indicate that the fatal collision occurred as the lorry was transiting the Ojota main carriageway, where it encountered the pedestrian in breach of crossing regulations. In a futile bid to flee the scene, the lorry driver lost vehicular control and subsequently collided with a Toyota Corolla, identified by registration number LND 905 HN.
“LASTMA personnel, demonstrating commendable swiftness and efficiency, apprehended the fleeing driver and secured the vehicle. Both were handed over to operatives of the Ogudu Police Division for comprehensive investigation and appropriate legal action.
“In line with prescribed procedures, the remains of the deceased were respectfully transferred to officials of the State Environmental Health Monitoring Unit by LASTMA operatives, ensuring due diligence and dignity in the handling of the casualty.”
Reacting to the incident, the LASTMA General Manager, Olalekan Bakare-Oki, condoled the deceased’s family and urged pedestrians to imbibe the use of pedestrian bridges.
“It is both reckless and unlawful to ignore the infrastructural provisions made for pedestrian safety,” he remarked.
“The Lagos State Government has invested significantly in pedestrian bridges, and it is incumbent upon all road users to utilise them conscientiously,” Bakare-Oki remarked.
In Ogun, Akinbiyi noted that two drivers lost their lives following a head-on collision between a truck and a luxurious bus along the Sagamu-Benin Expressway.
According to the TRACE spokesperson, an investigation revealed that the accident occurred when the driver of the luxurious bus drove in the wrong direction and collided with the truck.
He noted that the impact of the collision led to the death of both vehicles’ drivers.
Akinbiyi said, “A fatal RTA/RTC at Babcock dumpsite inbound Odogbolu along the Sagamu-Benin Expressway on Saturday involving a blue Mack truck with no number plate and a YUTONG luxury bus with number plate KJA 538 YK.
“According to the preliminary police investigation, the luxury bus drove against traffic and had a head-on collision with a containerised Mack truck.
“The drivers of the two vehicles died while the motor boy of the Mack truck sustained injuries.”
He concluded that the bodies of the deceased drivers were taken to the Ijebu-Ode General Hospital morgue by the police, while the injured motor boy was rescued at a hospital.
