The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) has attributed a fatal road accident at Atura Bus Stop in the Badagry area, which claimed eight lives and left eight others injured, to excessive speeding.
According to PUNCH Metro, the incident occurred less than two days after another crash on the Ijebu-Ode-Ibadan Expressway resulted in the death of 10 individuals.
The recent Lagos accident took place when a commercial passenger bus crashed into a truck.
In a statement, the spokesperson for LASTMA, Adebayo Taofiq, explained that the collision involved a 16-seater Mazda commercial bus with registration number KJA 811 YF, and a DAF truck bearing the number T1 4636 LA.
He stated, “The tragic accident instantly claimed the lives of eight passengers, including the driver of the ill-fated bus and his conductor, casting a somber pall over the Badagry axis and leaving the community in profound mourning and collective grief.”
He further mentioned that the prompt response of emergency personnel, including the Police, Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), and the Nigerian Army, “led to the successful extraction of eight surviving passengers, all of whom sustained varying degrees of trauma.”
Taofiq linked the cause of the crash to speeding and confirmed that both the deceased and injured were taken to Badagry General Hospital.
He added, “These casualties were immediately evacuated to the General Hospital in Badagry via an FRSC vehicle for critical medical attention.
“Preliminary investigation revealed that the driver of the commercial bus lost control while navigating at a perilously high speed, leading to a catastrophic collision with a DAF truck.
“The resultant impact was described as cataclysmic, leaving little chance for evasion or survival for several occupants of the bus.”
During a visit to the scene, LASTMA General Manager Olalekan Bakare-Oki sympathized with the bereaved families and extended best wishes to those receiving treatment.
He said, “This heart-wrenching incident is a painful reminder of the fragility of life and the urgent need for all road users to embrace caution.
“No journey should end in such tragedy. May the Almighty grant the deceased eternal rest and console those left behind.”
Bakare-Oki cautioned both commercial and heavy-duty vehicle drivers against reckless speeding, urging them to “adhere strictly to safety protocols, and ensure regular maintenance of their vehicles to avoid unnecessary fatalities.”
He stressed that the agency was shifting its approach from traditional traffic control to a more comprehensive emergency response model.
“We are no longer merely controlling traffic; we are managing emergencies, mitigating disasters, and saving lives. This is the ethos of contemporary traffic administration,” he emphasised.
Meanwhile, PUNCH Online also reported on Saturday that another deadly crash occurred along the Ijebu-Ode-Ibadan Expressway on Friday night, claiming 10 lives and leaving three people injured. According to the Ogun State Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Agency, that crash happened when a commercial bus driver hit a stone base, lost control, veered off the road, and plunged into a river.
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