A female passenger tragically lost her life, and six others suffered severe injuries in a road accident at New Castle Bus Stop, inward Gbagada, along the Oworonsoki–Apapa Expressway in Lagos.
The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) confirmed that its officials quickly responded to manage the aftermath of the crash and restore traffic flow on the busy road.
According to Adebayo Taofiq, the Director of Public Affairs and Enlightenment Department of LASTMA, the accident happened over the weekend when a Volkswagen commercial bus, with registration number LSD 654 XY, lost control and crashed into a roadside culvert.
Taofiq explained that the force of the collision ejected a female passenger from the vehicle onto the expressway.
He added that moments later, tragedy struck when an articulated trailer, unable to avoid the sudden incident, ran over the victim who was lying on the road.
“In a tragic turn of events, an oncoming articulated trailer approaching the scene was unable to forestall the sudden occurrence and consequently ran over the passenger who had fallen on the roadway, resulting in her immediate death,” he said.
Taofiq disclosed that six other occupants of the commercial bus, including the driver, sustained various severe injuries, with several victims suffering multiple fractures.
He noted that the driver of the articulated trailer reportedly fled the scene shortly after the incident.
According to him, LASTMA operatives monitoring traffic around the Gbagada area responded swiftly by activating an emergency traffic management protocol for the accident site.
He said officials temporarily cordoned off the expressway to prevent further crashes and to allow for the safe evacuation of the victims and wreckage from the scene.
“The entire expressway was temporarily secured to ensure seamless evacuation of the deceased, the injured passengers and the damaged commercial bus involved in the accident,” he added.
Taofiq mentioned that security personnel from the Pedro Police Division later arrived to provide reinforcement for traffic management officials and emergency responders, while also maintaining order at the accident scene.
He added that officials of the Lagos State Ambulance Service (LASAMBUS) promptly transported the six injured victims, including the driver who reportedly sustained a fractured leg, to a nearby hospital for urgent medical treatment.
He further stated that personnel from the Lagos State Environmental Health Monitoring Unit (SEHMU) removed the remains of the deceased passenger from the scene.
Taofiq said that after the rescue and evacuation, LASTMA officials cleared the accident debris and successfully restored normal vehicular movement along the expressway.
Reacting to the incident, Olalekan Bakare-Oki, the General Manager of LASTMA, extended his condolences to the family of the deceased.
Bakare-Oki also wished the injured victims a speedy recovery and reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to promoting road safety across Lagos State.
He urged motorists and commercial transport operators to ensure their vehicles are in good mechanical condition before embarking on journeys.
“Strict adherence to routine vehicle maintenance remains an indispensable safeguard against preventable road traffic accidents and a critical measure for the preservation of human lives on our highways,” he said.
