The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) has confirmed the death of a dispatch rider after being struck by a fully loaded HOWO diesel tanker (RBC 38 XF) under the Cele Bridge axis of the Apapa–Oshodi Expressway.
In a Wednesday statement signed by Adebayo Taofiq, Director of the Public Affairs and Enlightenment Department, LASTMA disclosed that security reports revealed that the tanker, while in motion, violently rammed into the dispatch motorcycle, trapping the rider underneath the tanker, and the rider died instantly.
According to the statement, LASTMA personnel stationed along the axis instantly cordoned off traffic and secured the crash site with cones and cautionary red tape.
The statement reads, “This swift intervention was undertaken to forestall secondary collisions and to safeguard other commuters navigating the busy expressway.
“The offending tanker was subsequently impounded by LASTMA officials, although the driver absconded upon perceiving the gravity of the incident.”
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The statement also revealed that operatives of the Ijesha Police Division arrived to reinforce security and assume investigative responsibility in line with established protocols.
LASTMA handed over the deceased rider, the impounded tanker, and the damaged motorcycle to the Police for thorough investigation and diligent prosecution.
LASTMA said, “The remains of the deceased after being professionally secured from underneath the tanker were thereafter conveyed by the Police to a morgue in Yaba.”
The General Manager of LASTMA, Mr Olalekan Bakare-Oki, conveyed heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family, describing the incident as deeply distressing.
He urged the Police to pursue a comprehensive inquiry into the root cause of the crash and ensure that justice is served in accordance with the law.
