One killed in Lagos crash as LASTMA points stern warning to truck drivers

One individual has died in a crash involving a totally laden Mercedes-Benz six-tyre truck, with registration quantity ABJ 37 AC, which overturned across the TREM axis of Gbagada, inward Oshodi, Lagos.

The incident prompted the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, LASTMA, to warn motorists towards rushing.

The General Manager of LASTMA, Mr Olalekan Bakare-Oki, gave the warning in an announcement on Sunday following the deadly highway accident, which occurred at midnight.

“Security findings indicate that the truck, which was conveying assorted consignments, including numerous sealed bags and newly branded event chairs, was travelling at considerable speed when its front tyre suddenly burst.

“This resulted in the driver losing control of the vehicle.

“In the ensuing struggle to stabilise the truck, an elderly male passenger seated in the front cabin was flung out of the vehicle and struck his head against a sharp object.

“The impact proved fatal, resulting in his instantaneous death,” he mentioned.

He mentioned LASTMA’s evening rescue group, which was conducting strategic surveillance throughout main site visitors corridors within the state, promptly mobilised to the accident location and cordoned off the scene.

“The operatives immediately evacuated the deceased from the busy carriageway into a Lagos State Emergency Medical Services, SEHMU, ambulance.

“The action thereby eliminated further exposure of the victim and prevented the possibility of another catastrophic incident involving approaching motorists.

“The rescue and traffic management operations received substantial inter-agency support, with personnel from Pedro Police Division providing essential security reinforcement.

“Also, officers of the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service participated in the emergency response,” he mentioned.

The LASTMA boss mentioned the overturned truck, as a result of appreciable quantity and nature of its cargo, couldn’t be instantly recovered.

“Consequently, arrangements were made for transloading the assorted consignments into another empty truck before the vehicle was fully recovered,” he mentioned.

Bakare-Oki notably condemned rushing, describing it as a harmful driving disposition that considerably diminished a driver’s response time.

He additionally mentioned rushing compromised automobile stability and aggravated the severity of highway site visitors incidents, particularly when sudden mechanical failures occurred.

He maintained that the devastating penalties of the incident might doubtlessly have been much less extreme had the truck been travelling at a fairly managed pace, however the sudden tyre explosion.

The normal supervisor consequently issued a stern advisory to operators of professional quality automobiles, industrial transporters and different motorists, notably in the course of the ember months, to embrace accountable driving practices.

He equally urged them to undertake common mechanical inspections and pay shut consideration to tyre circumstances, braking programs and different vital automobile parts earlier than commencing their journeys.

“Drivers must exercise exceptional composure and appropriate vehicle-control techniques whenever confronted with sudden mechanical complications, rather than allowing speeding to transform an otherwise manageable mechanical failure into a fatal tragedy,” he mentioned.