Tragic Incident Unfolds: LASTMA Apprehends Truck Driver Involved in Fatal Mile 12 Accident
Operatives from the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) apprehended an articulated truck driver today, following a tragic incident where the driver crushed a scavenger pushing a wheelbarrow to death near Mile 12 market on Ikorodu Road, Lagos. Adebayo Taofiq, the Director of the Public Affairs and Enlightenment Department at LASTMA, confirmed the accident involving a 16-tyre articulated truck ‘DAF’ (LSR 901 XV) and a scavenger on the main carriage way near Mile 12 market, heading towards Ketu along Ikorodu Expressway, Lagos.
Preliminary investigations indicate that the articulated truck driver lost control due to brake failure, resulting in a collision with the scavenger pushing a wheelbarrow on the main carriage way towards Ketu, Lagos. Although LASTMA Officers successfully rescued the scavenger alive immediately after the accident, he unfortunately succumbed to injuries while being transported to a nearby hospital by security personnel.
Upon learning about the scavenger’s death, a group of miscreants and hoodlums attempted to attack the truck driver. However, LASTMA officials, with the assistance of security personnel, managed to rescue the driver and took him to Ketu Police Divisional Headquarters.
In response to this incident, LASTMA’s General Manager, Bakare-Oki Olalekan, urged market leaders to conduct regular safety enlightenment campaigns, emphasizing the hazards of using wheelbarrows to transport goods or food items on highways throughout the State. He also issued a stern warning to truck drivers, urging them to avoid over-speeding and ensure their trucks’ braking systems are in good condition before embarking on any journeys within or outside the State.
