A deadly drama unfolded along the Badagry Expressway in Lagos after a truck driver allegedly knocked down a pedestrian, fled the scene and later crushed a motorcyclist who tried to stop him.
The fatal incident happened around the Iyana-Iba Flyover inward the main gate of Lagos State University, according to the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority.
Authorities said the driver of a heavily-loaded bucket truck was speeding from Volkswagen inward Badagry when he struck a pedestrian.
Instead of stopping after the crash, the driver allegedly continued his journey, prompting a motorcyclist and another passerby to chase after him in an attempt to force him to stop and take responsibility.
In a statement issued by Adebayo Taofiq, Director of Public Affairs and Enlightenment Department of LASTMA, the Agency said the pursuit ended in tragedy after the truck reportedly rammed into the motorcycle.
The impact killed the motorcyclist instantly, while the second person on the bike narrowly escaped death.
LASTMA officials said operatives from its Night Gang Surveillance and Monitoring Patrol Team quickly arrived at the scene for rescue and evacuation operations.
The Agency disclosed that the body of the deceased motorcyclist was trapped beneath the truck’s front tyre before emergency responders managed to recover it.
Officials also confirmed that the truck driver was arrested immediately and handed over to security operatives at the PPL Police Post in Okokomaiko alongside personnel of the Federal Road Safety Corps for further investigation.
According to LASTMA, FRSC officials evacuated the remains of the motorcyclist, while relatives later arrived to retrieve the body of the pedestrian killed earlier in the incident.
The Agency added that both the damaged motorcycle and the loaded bucket truck were taken to the police station pending the outcome of investigations.
General Manager of LASTMA, Olalekan Bakare-Oki, described the incident as heartbreaking and blamed reckless driving by truck operators for the growing number of fatal accidents on major highways.
He urged motorists, especially truck drivers, to obey speed regulations and exercise caution at all times to avoid further loss of lives on Lagos roads.
