The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) has expressed deep sorrow over a tragic road accident involving a commercial dispatch rider and a heavily loaded articulated container trailer at Ilupeju Bypass, Lagos, which claimed the life of the rider.
Preliminary investigations revealed that the unfortunate incident occurred after the dispatch rider allegedly engaged in a dangerous struggle for right of way with a commercial mini bus, popularly known as “Korope.” In the process, the rider reportedly lost control of the motorcycle and crashed into a moving articulated trailer along the busy Ilupeju corridor. The impact of the collision resulted in fatal injuries, leading to the rider’s instant death at the scene.
LASTMA operatives monitoring traffic activities around the Mushin axis swiftly responded to distress alerts and immediately commenced rescue and traffic management operations at the accident scene.
The officials successfully recovered the remains of the deceased trapped beneath the trailer and initiated extensive traffic control measures to ease the severe congestion caused by the incident and restore normal vehicular movement along the axis.
Following the severity of the accident and obstruction caused by the spilled contents from the trailer, officials of the State Environmental Health Management Unit (SEHMU) were promptly contacted and responded swiftly to evacuate the corpse from the scene.
LASTMA personnel also collaborated with other emergency response agencies to manage the traffic backlog while ensuring public safety, security, and orderliness throughout the rescue and evacuation exercise.
The wreckage of the dispatch motorcycle and the articulated trailer involved in the crash were subsequently handed over to officers of the Nigeria Police Force for further investigation and possible prosecution in line with existing traffic and criminal laws.
Security operatives from the Ilupeju Police Division provided adequate security throughout the rescue and recovery operations.
Reacting to the incident, the General Manager of LASTMA, Olalekan Bakare-Oki, sympathized with the bereaved family over the painful and irreparable loss and urged all road users, especially operators of articulated vehicles and dispatch riders, to exercise caution, professionalism, and restraint on the roads to avoid preventable tragedies.
According to him, “The essence of the recently concluded stakeholders’ engagement with courier and dispatch riders was fundamentally to sensitize and further educate operators on the imperative of safety consciousness, strict compliance with government-prescribed speed limits, and adherence to extant traffic regulations in order to avert needless loss of lives on our roads.”
Adebayo Taofiq
Director, Public Affairs and Enlightenment Department
Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA)
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