By Ayorinde Oluokun/Abuja
A driver was critically injured as his fully-laden truck plunged down the Pen Cinema Bridge in Agege area of Lagos and landed on two commercial buses parked under the bridge early Saturday morning.
The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) announced the grave accident in a statement by its spokesperson Adebayo Taofiq.
According to the statement, the truck driver, who suffered grievous fractures to both hands, lost control of the vehicle while navigating the Pen Cinema Bridge.
Consequently, the truck plunged from the bridge, landing upon the two commercial buses stationed beneath.
The statement further indicated that LASTMA Officers, responding with remarkable alacrity, successfully extricated the severely injured driver and immediately entrusted him to officers of the Elere Police Division.
The driver was subsequently conveyed to the General Hospital, Ile-Epo, for urgent medical intervention.
“In a bid to safeguard other road users and forestall secondary incidents, LASTMA personnel swiftly secured the accident site by cordoning off the area and diverting vehicular traffic. Thereafter, operatives of the LASEMA Response Unit expeditiously cleared the wreckage, thereby restoring unimpeded traffic flow along the axis.
“Expressing profound concern, the General Manager of LASTMA, Mr. Olalekan Bakare-Oki, admonished all motorists—particularly truck operators—to exhibit heightened vigilance and circumspection, especially with the onset of the rainy season.
“He further underscored the imperative of strict compliance with extant road safety protocols and enjoined drivers to adhere to the newly installed speed-limiting devices, a measure strategically deployed to mitigate accidents and promote collective road safety.
“Mr. Bakare-Oki also extended heartfelt wishes for the rapid and full recovery of the injured driver.
“For prompt traffic assistance or to engage the services of LASTMA officials on any Lagos thoroughfare, kindly contact the Agency’s toll-free hotline: 0800 00 527 862,” the statement added.
