Operatives of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) have arrested a hit-and-run driver, identified as a Togolese national, after he rammed into a pedestrian at the Adeniji Adele intersection, inward Ilubirin on Lagos Island, leaving the victim in a pool of blood.
The driver, operating a Mazda vehicle with registration number EPE 749 GS, was reportedly speeding, in violation of the state’s traffic laws, when he lost control and struck the pedestrian, who was attempting to cross the roadway.
As gathered, the driver fled the scene with his vehicle immediately after knocking down the pedestrian, in a desperate attempt to evade arrest and avoid taking responsibility for his reckless actions, which left the victim critically injured and bleeding on the road.
However, his attempted vanishing trick was cut short by LASTMA operatives nearby the scene, who gave chase and apprehended the driver before he could escape or hide the vehicle involved.
The agency’s Director, Public Affairs and Enlightenment Department, Adebayo Taofiq, who revealed this through a statement made available to newsmen on Monday, stated that the victims is currently receiving treatments at medical facility where he was rushed after loosing a huge amount of blood.
According to him, “In a brazen bid to elude justice, the culpable driver attempted to abscond from the scene with his vehicle.
“Nonetheless, through an expeditious chase and deft tactical maneuvering, LASTMA officers apprehended the fugitive motorist and promptly transferred him into the custody of security operatives from the Adeniji Adele Police Division for comprehensive interrogation and subsequent prosecution.
“Emergency medical responders from the Lagos State Ambulance Service (LASAMBUS), swiftly activated by LASTMA personnel, conveyed the severely injured pedestrian to the General Hospital, Odan, Lagos Island, where urgent and life-saving treatment was immediately administered.
The General Manager of LASTMA, Olalekan Bakare-Oki, sternly admonished motorists to embrace an uncompromising sense of safety consciousness whenever behind the wheel, emphasizing that excessive speed continues to be a primary precipitant of needless tragedies on Lagos roadways.
While conveying his profound sympathies to the accident victim, Bakare-Oki fervently wished the injured pedestrian a rapid and full recovery, reaffirming the Authority’s steadfast dedication to protecting human lives and preserving orderliness across the State’s transportation corridors.
