An unidentified pedestrian has been reported dead after he was crushed by a Nissan Jeep with number plate KJA 354 E in around Ogudu axis of the Lagos State.
It was learnt that the pedestrian was standing around the Ogudu flyover end of the Lagos–Ibadan Expressway when he was crushed by the vehicle trying to overtake an articulated truck but lost control during the process.
As gathered, the driver, who has been detained by the Ogudu Police Division, veered off the road and crushed the pedestrian who was pronounced dead by medical experts minutes after.
The Director, Public Affairs and Enlightenment Department of LASTMA, Adebayo Taofiq, confirmed this through a statement made available to newsmen on Sunday.
According to the statement, “The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) hereby affirms the decisive apprehension of a delinquent motorist who sought to abscond following a grievous vehicular mishap along the Lagos–Ibadan Expressway, immediately succeeding the Ogudu flyover bridge inward Ifako.
“The driver of a Nissan Jeep, bearing registration number KJA 354 ET, in a perilous display of recklessness, attempted to outmaneuver a heavily laden forty-foot articulated container truck while travelling at an excessive velocity. In the ill-fated maneuver, control of the vehicle was catastrophically lost, resulting in the violent impact upon an unsuspecting male pedestrian before the vehicle careered into the central median of the expressway.
“Instead of rendering succor to the gravely injured victim, the errant driver made a brazen attempt to abscond from the scene. Nevertheless, through the prompt, coordinated, and resolute intervention of LASTMA operatives strategically deployed in the axis, the suspect was intercepted and apprehended, even as officers simultaneously orchestrated the urgent rescue and medical evacuation of the critically wounded pedestrian.
“The apprehended suspect was immediately transferred to the custody of officers of the Ogudu Police Division, who provided indispensable law enforcement reinforcement during the rescue operations.
“The mangled vehicle was thereafter evacuated by LASTMA personnel and conveyed to the Ogudu Police Division for thorough investigatory procedures.
“Notwithstanding the accident’s close proximity to the ongoing rehabilitation of the Ogudu–Ifako bridge intersections by the Lagos State Government, LASTMA officers labored indefatigably to ensure that the free flow of traffic was preserved, thereby forestalling collateral congestion or secondary collisions.
“The General Manager of LASTMA, Mr. Olalekan Bakare-Oki, extolled the gallantry, professionalism, and vigilance of his officers in the face of the exigency, while issuing a stern admonition to motorists traversing Lagos highways.
“He underscored that excessive speeding and indiscriminate vehicular maneuvering constitute grave endangerments, not merely to drivers themselves, but also to pedestrians and other innocent road users.
“Bakare-Oki further enjoined motorists to exercise heightened circumspection, ensuring absolute road clearance and safety before attempting overtaking maneuvers or diversions.
“The Authority reiterates its unwavering and immutable commitment to the preservation of human life, the enforcement of traffic discipline, and the entrenchment of orderliness across all arterial corridors within Lagos State”.
