In a stark and sobering illustration of the grave consequences of roadway negligence, the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) today executed an urgent, precise and seamlessly coordinated rescue operation in the aftermath of a devastating vehicular collision at Toyota Bus Stop, directly opposite the Guardian newspaper headquarters, inward Oshodi.
The catastrophic incident, which unfolded amid the dense congestion of peak-hour traffic, involved a fully laden Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) tanker truck, registration number T28128LA, and a commercial Volkswagen T4 bus, bearing registration number GGE 526 YG.
Preliminary findings by security operatives from Oloto Police Station revealed that the PMS-laden tanker, travelling at perilously excessive speed, suffered a sudden and catastrophic brake failure. In a desperate bid to avert impending disaster, the driver lost all operational control, resulting in a ferocious collision with the moving, fully loaded commercial bus — an impact of such violent intensity that it left multiple occupants grievously injured.
The collision inflicted severe injuries upon five individuals — two males, three females, including the bus driver — all of whom were rescued alive through the decisive, swift, and highly professional intervention of LASTMA operatives.
Acting with commendable precision, the rescue team secured the accident scene, extracted the injured, and mitigated the risk of secondary hazards.
One critically injured passenger was conveyed to a nearby medical facility by a courageous Good Samaritan, while ambulances from the Lagos State Ambulance Service (LASAMBUS) and the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency’s Rescue Unit (LRU) transported the remaining four victims for immediate medical treatment.
The General Manager of LASTMA, Mr. Olalekan Bakare-Oki, expressed profound sympathy to the victims and conveyed heartfelt wishes for their full and speedy recovery.
He issued an unequivocal admonition to operators of articulated and heavy-duty vehicles particularly tanker drivers to maintain their machinery in flawless mechanical condition, with meticulous emphasis on the integrity of braking systems, to prevent avoidable tragedies of this magnitude.
Mr. Bakare-Oki further condemned the brazen disregard for statutory speed limits, which are conspicuously signposted along Lagos highways, stressing that adherence could have significantly reduced the severity of the calamity.
Bakare-Oki urged truck owners to institutionalise rigorous and continuous training and retraining programmes for their drivers, underscoring that the sanctity of human life must remain the paramount consideration in all road transport operations.
The public is hereby reminded that in any traffic-related emergency, the LASTMA Emergency Toll-Free Hotline 080000527862 remains operational at all times for immediate intervention and assistance.
