. LASTMA arrests trailer driver for knocking down barrier
Tragedy struck in the early hours of yesterday after a commercial bus collided with a tricycle, killing all occupants including the driver in Ago Palace Way, Okota area of Lagos.
Sources told The Guardian that some officials of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) were pursuing the bus for alleged traffic offence, when it skidded off the road and rammed into a commercial tricycle, killing the occupants on the spot.
An eyewitness said an official of LASTMA was actually in the bus warning the driver to stop, adding that the driver refused. In motion, both driver and LASTMA started struggling to gain control of the steering, and eventually ran over the tricycle.
“I was watching the bus and it was going at top speed while a LASTMA man was inside arguing with the driver.
“Suddenly, they started dragging the steering wheel, while the bus was still in motion. It eventually collided with a commercial tricycle occupied by a pregnant woman, who was taking her two children to school, and another passenger. The four of them, including the driver, died on the spot,” he said.
Efforts to speak with the Director, Public Affairs Enlightenment Department, Taofiq Adebayo, on the matter was not successful.
In a statement on its X page, LASTMA wrote, “Operatives of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) disclosed that a driver apprehended for driving in a direction prohibited by Law (One-way) today killed a tricycle operator, pregnant woman and injured two school children around Okota axis of the State.
“Traffic Officer Hassan Kehinde of Zone 27, Okota who led the LASTMA patrol team disclosed that a driver of a blue Toyota Sienna bus (AKD 944 HN) was apprehended for driving against traffic (One-way) around Ago Palace Way, Lagos.
“He disclosed further that a Police man attached with the patrol team volunteered to escort the apprehended vehicle to LASTMA office for proper booking.
“On their way, and in an attempt by the driver to escape, he diverted into Bayo Oyewale Street by Ago round-about and rammed into a fully loaded tricycle”
“While the tricycle operator died instantly, the pregnant woman later died at the Hospital while the two injured School Children were currently under the Intensive Care Unit receiving medical attention.”
Speaking with The Guardian on the incident, Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Benjamin Hundeyin said: “The police officer was only attached to the LASTMA team for protection. The pregnant woman and the tricyclist died while the children were hospitalised.
On what led to the incident, he said: “The men stopped a Sienna driver passing through one-way and in an attempt to apprehend him, he tried to escape.”
On what an officer should do in such a case, he said: “He said it is not good to drag with an erring motorist, especially in a rowdy area.”
Meanwhile, LASTMA has arrested the driver of a trailer that knocked down an erected barrier on Ojuelegba bridge inward Fadeyi, Lagos.
The arrest brings to five the number of truck drivers who have knocked down barriers along the route within a year.
Adebayo Taofiq, who is Director, Public Affairs and Enlightenment Department of LASTMA, said the driver was arrested and handed over to police for necessary action.
“Yes, he was arrested, and we handed him to the police in the area.”
Sharing the pictures after the incident, the agency wrote on X, “LASTMA officials on emergency rescue operations at Ojuelegba have confirmed that early this morning a Julius Berger trailer knocked down another newly erected barrier on Ojuelegba bridge inward Fadeyi, Lagos.
“LASTMA officials are on ground managing traffic that has extended back to Stadium Hotel Bus-stop around Surulere.”
