Truck crushes pedestrian to death in Lagos

A yet-to-be-identified pedestrian was crushed to death after a truck suffered a brake failure in the Iyana Ishashi area of Lagos State on Tuesday.

PUNCH Metro gathered from a statement by the spokesperson for the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, Taofiq Adebayo, that the accident occurred when the truck attempted a U-turn inward Mile 2.

He stressed that after the driver had lost control, the vehicle veered off the road and rammed into a pedestrian, killing him on the spot.

According to Taofiq, the excessive speed at which the driver was driving exacerbated the impact of the collision leading to the pedestrian’s death.

He said, “The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority profoundly regrets to announce a devastating road accident that occurred earlier today at the Iyana Ishasi U-turn inward Mile 2, involving a fully loaded Howo tipper devoid of registration details.

“Preliminary findings indicate that the Howo truck, in an ill-fated attempt to navigate through traffic at an excessive speed, suffered a catastrophic brake failure, resulting in a complete loss of vehicular control.

“The out-of-control vehicle tragically veered off its path and struck an innocent pedestrian walking along the roadside, causing instantaneous fatality.”

Reacting to the incident, the General Manager of LASTMA, Olalekan Bakare-Oki, reiterated the need for motorists to always adhere to traffic rules.

Bakare-Oki who spoke through Taofiq, extended the agency’s condolences to the family of the deceased.

“Expressing deep sorrow over the unfortunate incident, the General Manager of LASTMA, Mr Olalekan Bakare-Oki, extended his heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family, praying for divine fortitude to withstand this irreplaceable loss.

“In his admonition, Mr Bakare-Oki reiterated the imperative for all motorists to always uphold safety consciousness. He underscored the critical need for meticulous vehicle maintenance and strict adherence to traffic regulations to avert such avoidable tragedies.

“The LASTMA administration is committed to fostering road safety, ensuring seamless traffic management, and minimizing accidents across Lagos State,” Taofiq stated.

PUNCH Metro reported on Monday that two persons were killed in multiple accidents that occurred in some parts of the Lagos and Ogun states on Monday.

Six others also sustained varying degrees of injuries in the accidents that occurred on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Third Mainland Bridge and Fadeyi areas of Lagos State.

While one person died in the Ogun crash, another died in the Lagos crash including six persons who were injured.