A yet-to-be-identified commercial tricycle rider was on Tuesday crushed to death in an accident at the top of Egbe Bridge in the Ikotun area of Lagos State.
The spokesperson for the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, Taofiq Adebayo, who confirmed the incident in a statement, disclosed that the accident occurred when a Toyota Venza, with registration number GWA 659 RD, attempted to overtake another vehicle on the bridge.
According to him, the vehicle, in the process, rammed into the tricycle with number plate EPE 245 QM, coming from the opposite direction.
Adebayo stated that the impact killed the tricycle operator on the spot, while two passengers sustained multiple fractures and other serious injuries.
“Preliminary findings by security operatives indicate that the Toyota Venza, advancing from the Ejigbo area, in a perilously ill-judged attempt to overtake another vehicle atop the bridge, careened into the trajectory of an oncoming tricycle en route from Ikotun. The ensuing violent collision claimed the life of the tricycle operator instantaneously, whilst two passengers, one male and one female, sustained grievous bodily harm, including multiple fractures,” the statement partly read.
Adebayo added that LASTMA officials quickly rescued the injured victims from the wreckage and handed them over to the police from Ikotun Division, who took them to the General Hospital, Isolo, for treatment.
The driver of the Venza was said to have fled the scene after the crash, while the police had launched a manhunt to arrest him. Adebayo further disclosed that the LASTMA General Manager, Olalekan Bakare-Oki, commiserated with the deceased’s family and prayed for the recovery of the injured passengers.
Reaffirming the authority’s unwavering dedication to road safety, Bakare-Oki enjoined all motorists to exercise scrupulous vigilance and ascertain that the roadway is unequivocally clear before attempting overtaking manoeuvres, particularly on elevated thoroughfares and bridge crests, where visibility and vehicular control are inherently diminished.
Bakare added that the heartrending incident served as a grim testament to the lethal consequences of impatience and the blatant flouting of traffic laws.
“It is imperative that all road users cultivate discipline, foresight, and an uncompromising adherence to safety protocols to avert needless tragedies on our roads,” the statement added.
