By Christopher Oji
Many people escaped death yesterday as a truck fell off Agege bridge in Lagos and landed on two buses.
There was pandemonium when the fully loaded truck with registration No GGE 624 YJ, fell off the bridge leaving people scampering for safety.
A witness, Saliu Babs, a commercial bus driver, told Sunday Sun that it was a miracle that only two people were injured in what would have been a mass death.
“I was on the roll of drivers on the road, below Agege Bridge; then all of a sudden, I saw a truck falling down from the bridge. To my surprise, it landed on two commercial buses in front. I thought that not less than 20 people would have died. The noise made by the truck was scary. I even ran out of my bus. In fact, God is great.
“When we summoned courage to go near the scene, we found out that the two buses were not carrying passengers; but my bus and the one in front of me were fully loaded with passengers. Two people were injured, but the truck driver sustained serious injury while the other victim left immediately.”
Another witness, John Udoh, said that he was surprised that many people escaped the fatal fall. “I did not believe my eyes that people escaped the accident. Many people used to sit or stand in that place, Fortunately nobody was injured except the driver of the truck who was rushed to the hospital. We all who witnessed what happened, celebrated God that a serious tragedy was averted.”
Director, Public Affairs and Enlightenment Department, Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) Adebayo Taofiq, said: “Preliminary inquiries suggest that the truck driver who suffered grievous fractures in his hands, lost control of the vehicle while navigating the Pen Cinema Bridge. Consequently, the truck plunged from the bridge, landing upon the two commercial buses stationed beneath.
“LASTMA officers responding with remarkable alacrity, successfully extricated the severely-injured driver and immediately entrusted him to officers of the Elere Police Division. The driver was subsequently conveyed to the General Hospital, Ile-Epo, for urgent medical attention.
“In a bid to safeguard other road users and forestall secondary incidents, LASTMA personnel swiftly secured the accident site by cordoning off the area and diverting vehicular traffic. Thereafter, operatives of the LASEMA Response Unit expeditiously cleared the wreckage, thereby restoring unimpeded traffic flow along the axis.”
He said that General Manager of LASTMA, Mr. Olalekan Bakare-Oki, admonished motorists, particularly truck operators to exhibit heightened vigilance and circumspection, especially during the rainy season.
“He further underscored the imperative of strict compliance with extant road safety protocols and enjoined drivers to adhere to the newly installed speed-limiting devices, a measure strategically deployed to mitigate accidents and promote collective road safety.”
He stated that Bakare-Oki also extended heartfelt wishes for the rapid and full recovery of the injured driver.