15 hours ago
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A female passenger has died while six others sustained serious injuries in a road accident that occurred over the weekend at New Castle Bus Stop inward Gbagada along the Oworonsoki-Apapa Expressway in Lagos.
The incident involved a Volkswagen commercial bus with registration number LSD 654 XY, which reportedly lost control and crashed into a roadside culvert along the expressway corridor.
According to statement released by the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), the force of the crash threw a female passenger out of the vehicle onto the expressway.
Tragically, an articulated trailer approaching the scene could not avoid the situation and ran over the passenger who had fallen on the road, leading to her immediate death.
“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,” the statement said
Six other occupants of the commercial bus, including the driver, were seriously injured in the crash and reportedly suffered multiple fractures. The driver of the trailer involved in the incident reportedly fled the scene without stopping.
“Six other occupants of the commercial vehicle, including the driver sustained varying degrees of severe injuries during the unfortunate incident, while the driver of the articulated trailer reportedly fled the scene without stopping,” the statement added.
Officials of LASTMA who were monitoring traffic around the Gbagada axis quickly responded to the accident by initiating emergency traffic control measures at the scene.
To prevent further accidents and ensure the safety of other road users, traffic officials temporarily closed the expressway as rescue operations got underway.
This measure allowed for the evacuation of the deceased passenger, injured victims, and the wrecked commercial bus involved in the crash.
Security personnel from the Nigeria Police Force’s Pedro Division were also deployed to the scene, providing support for traffic officials and emergency responders while maintaining order.
During the rescue, officials of the Lagos State Ambulance Service (LASAMBUS) transported six injured victims including the bus driver, who reportedly sustained a fractured leg, to a nearby hospital for urgent medical attention.
Likewise, personnel of the Lagos State Environmental Health Monitoring Unit (SEHMU) removed the remains of the deceased female passenger from the accident scene.
After the evacuation exercise was completed, LASTMA officials cleared the accident debris and other obstructions from the road, which helped restore normal traffic flow along the expressway.
Reacting to the incident, the General Manager of LASTMA, Olalekan Bakare-Oki, expressed condolences to the family of the deceased passenger.
He also wished the injured victims a quick recovery.
Bakare-Oki further used the opportunity to stress the importance of proper vehicle maintenance by motorists and commercial transport operators.
“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.
