LASTMA Acts Quickly Following Fatal Gbagada Road Accident

The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) promptly coordinated emergency response and traffic control after a tragic road accident over the weekend at New Castle Bus Stop, inward Gbagada along the Oworonsoki–Apapa Expressway.

In a statement by Adebayo Taofiq, Director of Public Affairs and Enlightenment at LASTMA, a Volkswagen commercial bus (LSD 654 XY) reportedly veered off course and crashed violently into a roadside culvert. The collision ejected a female passenger onto the expressway, leaving six other passengers, including the driver, with severe injuries such as multiple fractures.

Tragically, an oncoming articulated trailer could not avoid the passenger, resulting in her instant death. The trailer driver reportedly fled the scene.

LASTMA officers in the area immediately activated a full emergency traffic management protocol. The expressway was temporarily cordoned off to prevent further accidents while rescuers evacuated the injured passengers, the deceased, and the damaged vehicle safely. Security personnel from the Pedro Police Division assisted in maintaining order during the operation.

The six injured victims were swiftly transported by Lagos State Ambulance Service (LASAMBUS) to a nearby hospital for urgent treatment. Meanwhile, the Lagos State Environmental Health Monitoring Unit (SEHMU) managed the removal of the deceased passenger’s remains. Once the area was cleared, LASTMA restored normal traffic flow along the expressway.

The General Manager of LASTMA, Olalekan Bakare-Oki, extended heartfelt condolences to the family of the deceased and prayed for their strength during this difficult time. He also wished a speedy recovery to the injured passengers.

Bakare-Oki reiterated LASTMA’s commitment to public safety campaigns and stressed the responsibility of vehicle owners and commercial transport operators to maintain their vehicles, especially braking systems, to prevent avoidable accidents.

“Routine vehicle maintenance is an indispensable safeguard against preventable accidents and a critical measure to protect lives on our highways,” he said.