TRUCK LOSES CONTROL, CRUSHES WOMAN TO DEATH IN LAGOS

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By: Sefiu Ajape

A woman lost her life on Friday in Ita Oluwo, a boundary community between Lagos and Ogun states, after a truck with failed brakes rammed into another, trapping her between the two vehicles.

The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) confirmed the incident in a statement issued on Saturday by its Director of Public Affairs and Enlightenment, Adebayo Taofiq.

According to LASTMA, the crash involved two Iveco trucks carrying iron rods, identified by number plates QX 189 KSF and YA 701 AAA.

The agency attributed the collision to brake failure and reckless speeding on the part of one of the truck drivers, who lost control and crashed into a stationary vehicle.

“A woman was tragically caught and trapped between the two articulated vehicles,” LASTMA stated.

Emergency responders extracted the victim from the wreckage and transported her body to the Ogun State University Teaching Hospital morgue in Sagamu.

The General Manager of LASTMA, Mr. Olalekan Bakare-Oki, described the crash as a tragic result of mechanical failure and careless driving.

“This appalling tragedy highlights the urgent necessity for unyielding compliance with road safety protocols, particularly for operators of articulated trucks conveying hazardous and high-density cargo.

“It is particularly disheartening that incidents of this nature, which are avoidable through due diligence and professional discipline, persist due to mechanical neglect and irresponsible speeding,” he said.

Bakare-Oki called on haulage firms to enforce routine mechanical checks, driver certification, and fitness assessments before putting drivers behind the wheels of heavy-duty vehicles.

“Roadworthiness is not optional, but obligatory for those entrusted with the operation of high-risk transport equipment,” he said.

The woman was extricated through a joint rescue effort by officials of LASTMA, the Lagos Fire and Rescue Service, Lagos Neighbourhood Safety Corps, and the Nigeria Police.

Normal traffic flow has since resumed on the affected section of the road.

LASTMA urged truck operators to observe speed limits, obey traffic signs, and report faults before setting out.