A tragic road accident along the Ikorodu Road of Lagos State involving a commercial bus has claimed the lives of an eight-month-old baby and an adult female passenger, while ten others sustained injuries.
According to a Sunday Statement signed by the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority spokesperson, Taofiq Adebayo, the incident occurred earlier on Sunday, opposite Olabode House, after Anthony inward Obanikoro, when a red long Tata commercial bus travelling at a very high speed from Palmgroove toward Anthony lost control.
The statement further disclosed that the speeding vehicle, while losing control, forcefully collided with a moving Volkswagen commercial bus conveying passengers from Anthony toward Palmgroove.
The statement reads, “Preliminary findings indicate that a red long Tata commercial bus propelled at an excessive and perilous velocity from Palmgroove inward Anthony, suddenly lost mechanical and directional control. In a catastrophic sequence of events, the bus veered off its lane, violently breached the median barrier and careened into the opposing carriageway, where it forcefully collided with a moving Volkswagen commercial bus conveying passengers from Anthony toward Palmgroove.
“The sheer violence of the impact resulted in the instantaneous death of an adult female passenger aboard the Volkswagen bus, while an eight-month-old female infant tragically succumbed to injuries sustained in the collision. The untimely and heartrending loss of such tender and innocent lives has plunged the entire corridor and indeed the wider community into profound mourning.”
The statement further disclosed that, “In a display of exceptional professionalism, promptness and operational dexterity, LASTMA operatives supported by well-meaning members of the public, immediately activated a coordinated rescue and recovery operation. A total of ten (10) victims, including the drivers of both vehicles were successfully extricated from the mangled wreckage, all sustaining varying degrees of serious injuries. Six (6) trapped passengers were rescued from the Volkswagen commercial bus, while four (4) others were evacuated from the red Tata bus.
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“To avert secondary collisions and safeguard other road users, LASTMA personnel swiftly secured and cordoned off the entire accident scene and efficiently evacuated the wrecked vehicles from the expressway thereby restoring seamless vehicular flow along the main carriageway of Ikorodu Road.”
According to the agency, the Lagos State Ambulance Service (LASAMBUS) promptly transported the injured victims to nearby medical facilities for immediate and comprehensive medical attention, while officials of the State Environmental Health Monitoring Unit (SEHMU) respectfully recovered and evacuated the remains of the deceased infant and adult female. Security operatives from the Ilupeju Police Division provided indispensable security coverage throughout the duration of the rescue and recovery exercise.
The General Manager of LASTMA, Olalekan Bakare-Oki, condemned the excessive speeding of motorists while simultaneously offering his condolences to the victims and the family of the deceased.
He described the incident as a collective moment of grief for parents and all people of conscience, offering fervent prayers for divine consolation for the bereaved and speedy recovery for the ten injured victims.
Mr. Bakare-Oki further seized the occasion to issue a stern and unequivocal warning to all motorists especially commercial drivers to exhibit utmost restraint, heightened vigilance and unwavering compliance with stipulated speed limits.
