The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority has confirmed the arrest of a truck driver after a 40-foot containerised articulated vehicle reportedly lost control and crashed into a commercial minibus and roadside shops at Second Rainbow inward Oshodi in Lagos.
The incident occurred along the service lane adjoining the Police Tactical Team Station, causing panic within the area and leaving a female Point of Sale operator severely injured.
The LASTMA spokesperson, Adebayo Taofiq, in a statement on Monday, noted that the truck driver lost control of the articulated vehicle while in transit, causing the truck to overturn onto a commercial shuttle bus before crashing into nearby roadside businesses.
“The harrowing incident was caused by loss of control of the articulated Mark 40-foot truck while in transit.
“The driver lost total control of the massive vehicle, causing the truck to overturn violently onto a commercial mini shuttle bus while simultaneously ploughing into adjoining roadside commercial outlets within the corridor,” he stated.
Taofiq noted that preliminary investigations revealed that the articulated truck conveying a fully loaded 40-foot container veered off its designated path before descending on the commercial corridor.
He disclosed that the female POS operator sustained severe injuries to both legs during the accident.
The agency added that officers of the Police Tactical Team stationed within the area rescued the victim and rushed her to a nearby hospital for urgent medical attention.
He continued, “Regrettably, a female roadside Point of Sale operator under a canopy sustained severe injuries to both legs during the tragic occurrence, resulting in critical trauma and panic within the vicinity.
“The injured victim was immediately rescued and evacuated to a nearby medical facility for urgent medical intervention by officers of the Police Tactical Team stationed within the area.”
Taofiq further disclosed that LASTMA operatives mobilised to the scene to coordinate traffic control, rescue, and recovery operations in collaboration with security agencies and emergency responders.
He noted that the truck driver was apprehended by LASTMA personnel and subsequently handed over to officers of the Nigeria Police Force for further investigation and possible prosecution.
The spokesperson added that a recovery tow truck was immediately deployed to evacuate the fallen articulated vehicle and the damaged mini shuttle bus from the road.
“To expedite the restoration of normalcy, a recovery tow truck was immediately deployed to evacuate the fallen articulated vehicle and the damaged mini shuttle bus, while security operatives from the Orile-Iganmu Division of the Nigeria Police Force commenced comprehensive documentation and preliminary investigations into the circumstances surrounding the unfortunate incident.
“Despite the magnitude of the accident and the considerable structural and commercial damage recorded within the vicinity, vehicular movement around the affected corridor remained substantially uninterrupted owing to the timely intervention and proactive traffic management architecture instituted by LASTMA officials,” Taofiq added.
Reacting to the incident, the General Manager of LASTMA, Olalekan Bakare-Oki, urged operators of articulated vehicles and logistics companies to subject heavy-duty trucks to proper mechanical examinations before embarking on journeys.
He stressed that faulty braking systems and poor vehicle maintenance continue to pose serious threats to public safety across Lagos State.
Bakare-Oki further warned that negligence in vehicle maintenance remains a major threat to lives, public infrastructure, and road safety administration in the state.
PUNCH Metro reported on May 20 that a dispatch rider died following a collision with a containerised truck along the Ilupeju Bypass area of Lagos State.
Taofiq had stated that the tragic incident occurred after the rider reportedly struggled for the right of way with a commercial minibus, popularly known as “Korope.”
He stated that investigations revealed that the dispatch rider lost control of the motorcycle during the struggle and crashed into a moving articulated trailer along the busy Ilupeju corridor.
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