No fewer than two passengers narrowly escaped death in an auto crash involving two vehicles around Iyana-Oworo, by Olopomeji inward Car Wash axis of Lagos State.
It was gathered that the accident, which nearly claimed the lives of a woman and a young girl, involved a white commercial Toyota Hiace bus and a private car.
Confirming the incident on Tuesday, the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) said investigations revealed that the crash was caused by the commercial Toyota Hiace bus with registration number LSR 701 EF, which was overloaded and traveling at an excessive speed.
LASTMA explained that the bus reportedly suffered a sudden brake failure and rammed violently into a private car ahead of it, resulting in a wreckage.
The impact of the collision, the agency added resulted in extensive damage to the commercial Hiace bus and left 2 passengers in a serious distress.
“Our officials promptly arrived at the scene to administer emergency assistance. A woman, whose legs were fractured, and a young lady with multiple serious injuries were swiftly evacuated and handed over to the Lagos State Ambulance Service (LASAMBUS), who transported them to a nearby medical facility for urgent treatment.
“Security reinforcement was promptly provided by officers from the Alonge Police Division, who ensured crowd control and safety at the crash site, while LASTMA operatives efficiently cleared the wreckage and evacuated all involved vehicles to restore traffic flow,” the agency stated.
Reacting to the incident, the General Manager of LASTMA, Olalekan Bakare-Oki, decried the growing trend of over-speeding and disregard for traffic safety regulations among commercial drivers.
Bakare-Oki emphasized the importance of complying with the state government’s mandatory speed-limiting devices in commercial vehicles, stressing that the initiative was designed to curb road carnage and safeguard lives.
“We must collectively recognize that road safety is a shared responsibility. The installation of speed limiters is a deliberate policy to ensure that drivers operate within safe speed thresholds. This tragic incident might have been prevented had such regulations been followed,” he stated.
The LASTMA boss extended heartfelt wishes for the swift and full recovery of the injured victims, while reaffirming the agency’s commitment to preserving lives and maintaining order on Lagos roads.
