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By Christopher Oji
The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) has rescued an injured victim of a hit-and-run crash who was found in desperate need of immediate medical intervention.
The incident reportedly occurred over the weekend on the main carriageway around Ketu, inward Ojota, Lagos, when an unidentified motorist allegedly struck the victim and fled the scene, leaving the severely injured individual helpless and unattended.
In a statement, Director, Public Affairs and Enlightenment Department of LASTMA, Adebayo Taofiq, said officers of the agency, upon arriving at the scene, immediately swung into action by securing the accident location, regulating traffic and taking steps to prevent further danger to the victim and other road users.
According to him, the victim was found lying in a pool of blood after sustaining multiple traumatic injuries, including severe fractures and a serious head injury.
Taofiq said the victim was still alive and breathing when LASTMA officers arrived, but his condition was visibly critical and required urgent and specialised medical attention.
He said, in keeping with the agency’s humanitarian and emergency-response responsibilities, LASTMA officers promptly alerted the Lagos State Ambulance Service (LASAMBUS), whose medical personnel arrived at the scene to assess the victim and determine the appropriate course of emergency intervention.
The attending medical personnel, after assessing the victim, reportedly expressed grave concern over the severity and complexity of his injuries, particularly the multiple fractures and serious head trauma.
They reportedly noted that the victim required a medical facility with the necessary capacity and specialised resources to provide comprehensive trauma management.
Despite the distressing circumstances, Taofiq said LASTMA officers remained at the scene and continued to safeguard the victim while further emergency-response options were being explored.
He said the intervention once again underscored the agency’s evolving role beyond conventional traffic management to include prompt rescue operations, emergency response and the preservation of human life at road-crash scenes.
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The General Manager of LASTMA, Olalekan Bakare-Oki, strongly condemned the alleged abandonment of the victim by the unidentified motorist, describing the act as reprehensible, irresponsible and fundamentally contrary to the obligations imposed on every responsible road user.
Bakare-Oki stressed that any motorist involved in a road crash has a moral and legal obligation to stop, assess the situation, summon emergency responders and, where practicable, render reasonable assistance to persons who may have sustained injuries.
He said fleeing the scene of a crash, particularly when another person has sustained life-threatening injuries, could have devastating consequences.
“The decision by a motorist to flee the scene of a crash, particularly where another person has sustained life-threatening injuries, is deeply reprehensible and could have devastating consequences.
“In emergencies of this nature, every second is consequential. While our officers remain committed to responding swiftly to road crashes and other emergencies, members of the public must also demonstrate a corresponding sense of responsibility by promptly alerting the appropriate emergency agencies and cooperating with responders,” Bakare-Oki stated.
The LASTMA boss commended the agency’s personnel for their courage, professionalism and steadfastness in responding to the incident despite the distressing nature of the scene.
He reiterated that LASTMA’s rescue and emergency-response mandate was fundamentally anchored on the protection of lives and the mitigation of the consequences of road traffic crashes.
Bakare-Oki further appealed to eyewitnesses, motorists and members of the public who may have credible information capable of aiding the identification and apprehension of the fleeing motorist to promptly make such information available to the appropriate law-enforcement authorities.
LASTMA consequently admonished motorists to exercise the highest degree of caution, discipline and responsibility while navigating Lagos roads, particularly by avoiding excessive speed, reckless driving and other behaviours capable of endangering the lives of fellow road users.
The agency also urged members of the public to cultivate a stronger culture of emergency consciousness by dialling its toll-free hotline, 3367, or promptly contacting relevant emergency-response agencies whenever road crashes occur.
LASTMA stressed that the preservation of human life must invariably take precedence over every other consideration at the scene of a traffic incident.
