A tragic road accident along the busy Oworonsoki–Apapa Expressway has claimed the life of a female passenger, while six others sustained serious injuries.
The incident occurred at New Castle Bus Stop inward Gbagada, causing panic among motorists and commuters using the route.
Officials of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) confirmed that emergency responders quickly arrived at the scene to manage traffic and rescue victims. Eyes Of Lagos reports,
According to LASTMA’s Director of Public Affairs and Enlightenment, Adebayo Taofiq, the accident involved a Volkswagen commercial bus with registration number LSD 654 XY.
He explained that the vehicle reportedly lost control before crashing into a roadside culvert along the expressway.
The force of the collision threw a female passenger out of the vehicle and onto the roadway.
In a tragic development, an approaching articulated trailer was unable to stop in time and ran over the passenger who had been thrown onto the road.
According to Taofiq, the impact led to the immediate death of the victim.
The driver of the trailer reportedly fled the scene shortly after the incident.
Six other passengers in the commercial bus, including the driver, suffered varying degrees of injuries.
Several victims reportedly sustained serious fractures and other injuries.
Officials from the Lagos State Ambulance Service (LASAMBUS) arrived at the scene and transported the injured victims to a nearby hospital for urgent medical attention.
Security personnel from the Nigeria Police Force at the Pedro Police Division later arrived to support emergency responders and maintain order at the accident scene.
Officials from the Lagos State Environmental Health Monitoring Unit evacuated the body of the deceased passenger.
LASTMA operatives temporarily secured the entire stretch of the expressway to prevent further accidents and ensure a smooth evacuation process.
After the rescue operation and removal of the damaged vehicle, LASTMA officials cleared the debris and restored normal traffic movement along the busy corridor.
Reacting to the incident, the General Manager of LASTMA, Olalekan Bakare-Oki, expressed condolences to the family of the deceased victim.
He also wished the injured passengers a speedy recovery.
Bakare-Oki urged motorists and commercial drivers to always ensure their vehicles are properly maintained to prevent avoidable road accidents.
“Regular vehicle maintenance remains one of the most effective ways to prevent road traffic accidents and protect lives,” he stated.