A yet-to-be identified Police Officer and a female passenger were on Monday confirmed dead after a container-laden articulated truck fell on a fully loaded commercial tricycle in Lagos.
According to a statement by the Director, Public Affairs and Enlightenment Department of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), Adebayo Taofiq, the accident occurred at Ijora Causeway, inward Ijora 7Up.
He disclosed that preliminary findings revealed the articulated vehicle was attempting a precarious manoeuvre beneath the Ijora Bridge when it lost control and crushed the tricycle.
“LASTMA hereby confirms the occurrence of a most lamentable accident earlier today along Ijora Causeway, inward Ijora 7Up, involving a fully laden 40-foot container truck, XP 368 AKD, which overturned upon a commercial tricycle, KJA 364 QN, conveying unsuspecting passengers.
“Preliminary findings indicate that the articulated vehicle, while attempting a precarious manoeuvre beneath the Ijora Bridge, lost control and consequently capsized, fatally crushing a tricycle in its path. Regrettably, two passengers, including a serving Police Officer, were killed instantly.
“The remains of the deceased Police Officer were subsequently conveyed to a morgue at Yaba by security operatives, while grief-stricken relatives of the second victim, a female passenger, hastened to the scene to retrieve the remains of their loved one,” he said.
Taofiq added that in a rescue operation led by LASTMA and other emergency responders, two additional victims, including the tricycle operator, were rescued alive but sustained severe bilateral leg fractures.
The injured victims were quickly taken by the Lagos State Ambulance Service (LASAMBUS) to Jimsan Hospital, Gaskiya, Ijora, for urgent medical care.
He explained that but for the quick intervention of security personnel, an irate mob had threatened to set the truck ablaze.
“To avert a descent into chaos, combined detachments of security personnel drawn from Badia, Trinity, and Kirikiri Police Divisions established robust security cordons. Their decisive presence pacified irate onlookers, who had attempted to set the containerised truck ablaze, and safeguarded the emergency responders throughout the duration of the rescue operations,” he stated.
The General Manager of LASTMA, Olalekan Bakare-Oki, expressed condolences to the bereaved families of the deceased Police Officer and the female passenger, describing the incident as deeply grievous and regrettable.
He also prayed for the quick recovery of the two surviving victims who are still receiving treatment.
Bakare-Oki commended the emergency and security agencies for their swift intervention, professionalism, and proactive measures, which prevented further fatalities and escalation of the situation.
The Authority reiterated its call to truck operators and articulated vehicle drivers to exercise utmost caution, especially when navigating bridges, intersections, and congested roads, to prevent a recurrence of such tragic incidents.
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