A commercial dispatch rider was on Wednesday crushed to death by a fuel tanker along Kodesho Road in Ikeja, Lagos State, with the tanker driver subsequently arrested by officials of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) after allegedly attempting to flee the scene.
The fatal accident occurred at about noon opposite MRS Filling Station, inward Awolowo Way and Oba Akran, along the Maryland-Ikeja axis.
According to LASTMA, the fully loaded tanker, with registration number T-19089 LA, was carrying 33,000 litres of groundnut oil when it struck the motorcycle rider. The impact reportedly killed the dispatch rider instantly.
The agency said the tanker driver allegedly attempted to leave the scene without stopping to assist the victim or reporting the incident to the relevant authorities.
The General Manager of LASTMA, Olalekan Bakare-Oki, said the agency’s officers responded swiftly after receiving a distress alert and pursued the tanker before successfully intercepting the vehicle and arresting the driver.
Bakare-Oki said, “Upon receiving the distress alert, vigilant LASTMA officers mounted an immediate pursuit, successfully intercepted the fleeing vehicle and apprehended the driver before he could escape.”
Following the incident, LASTMA officials secured the accident scene and took steps to manage traffic in the area, ensuring that the movement of vehicles was not severely disrupted during the evacuation operation.
The deceased rider’s colleagues later arrived at the scene and, after identifying the victim, contacted his family. They reportedly expressed sadness and grief over the sudden loss of their colleague.
Describing the incident as heartbreaking and avoidable, the LASTMA General Manager commiserated with the family of the deceased and urged motorists, particularly drivers of articulated vehicles, tankers and other heavy-duty trucks, to exercise greater caution while driving.
He stressed the need for professional conduct and strict adherence to traffic laws, warning that reckless driving, excessive speed and fleeing the scene of an accident were serious offences that could put other road users at risk and attract legal consequences.
The LASTMA boss further reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to improving road safety and maintaining effective traffic management across Lagos State.
He said LASTMA would continue to work with the Nigeria Police Force and other emergency response agencies to strengthen road safety measures and ensure prompt intervention during traffic emergencies and road crashes.
Bakare-Oki also appealed to members of the public to promptly report traffic-related emergencies and road crashes to LASTMA through its toll-free emergency line, 3367.
