The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) on Thursday the 12th of February,
swiftly responded to a grievous early morning road traffic catastrophe that transpired at EKEKO Junction along the LekkiāAjah Expressway, culminating in the untimely death of a male motorist and the critical injury of his spouse.
Preliminary security briefings reveal that an articulated truck, heavily burdened with granite and travelling at an inordinate speed from the Epe axis, was approaching Eleko Junction when it reportedly experienced a catastrophic brake malfunction. The mechanical failure precipitated an abrupt loss of vehicular control, causing the truck to career off its designated path and collide forcefully with a Toyota saloon car travelling from Ajah inward Epe.
The sheer momentum of the impact resulted in the truck toppling and descending upon the smaller vehicle, crushing it beneath its prodigious weight.
Authoritative reports further indicate that the driver of the Toyota saloon car became entrapped within the mangled wreckage.
Through the valiant and coordinated intervention of LASTMA personnel and the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) in collaboration with public-spirited bystanders, the victim was extricated from the debris. Tragically, he was pronounced dead at the scene. His wife, seated in the front passenger position, sustained life-threatening injuries and was immediately rescued for urgent medical attention.
The remains of the deceased and his critically injured spouse were evacuated from the accident locus by an ambulance service deployed by the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) for requisite medical and mortuary procedures.
In a most condemnable abdication of responsibility, the driver of the articulated truck fled the scene immediately upon witnessing the recovery of the deceased victim, thereby evading lawful accountability.
Operatives of the Akodo Police Division furnished essential security reinforcement, maintaining order and safeguarding the vicinity throughout the duration of the rescue and recovery operations.
The General Manager of LASTMA, Olalekan Bakare-Oki conveyed his profound condolences to the bereaved family, characterising the incident as a deeply distressing and preventable tragedy.
He further extended earnest prayers for the expeditious and full recuperation of the injured spouse, while reaffirming the Agencyās resolute commitment to the rigorous enforcement of traffic statutes, particularly against reckless driving, mechanical dereliction and egregious violations of established road safety protocols.
In a separate yet equally alarming occurrence, a 33,000-litre fuel tanker erupted into flames at midnight around Ile-Zik inward Magboro along the LagosāAbeokuta Expressway.
The LASTMA Rescue Team, in seamless synergy with the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, responded with remarkable promptitude and professional dexterity, successfully containing and extinguishing the inferno before it could escalate into a large-scale disaster of catastrophic proportions.
To guarantee unobstructed emergency access and operational efficiency, LASTMA personnel immediately diverted vehicular traffic into the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) corridor, thereby preserving public safety while minimising disruption. Upon the successful conclusion of firefighting and recovery exercises, the affected corridor was duly reopened, restoring the free flow of vehicular movement.
