Tanker driver flees after crushing dispatch rider to death in Lagos

By Kazeem Ugbodaga

A dispatch rider has died after being crushed by a fully loaded diesel tanker under the Cele Bridge corridor of the Apapa–Oshodi Expressway in Lagos, with the driver fleeing the scene.

The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) said its officials responded swiftly to the incident, securing the crash site to prevent further accidents on the busy expressway.

According to the agency, the HOWO tanker, marked RBC 38 XF, rammed into the motorcycle while in motion, trapping the rider beneath the vehicle. The victim was confirmed dead at the scene.

LASTMA personnel immediately cordoned off the area using safety cones and caution tape to control traffic and avert secondary collisions.

The tanker involved in the crash was impounded by officials, while the driver reportedly absconded after realising the severity of the incident.

Operatives of the Ijesha Police Division later arrived at the scene to take over investigation, as the deceased, the tanker and the damaged motorcycle were handed over to the police for further action.

The body of the victim was subsequently recovered and taken to a morgue in Yaba.

Reacting to the incident, LASTMA General Manager, Olalekan Bakare-Oki, expressed condolences to the family of the deceased, describing the crash as distressing.

He called for a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident and urged that those responsible be brought to justice.