The operatives of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) have apprehended the driver of a Mack truck conveying a fully laden 40-foot container following a multiple-vehicle collision at First Gate, inward Mile 2, Lagos, which left four persons critically injured.
The collision which involved the Mack truck, another truck conveying a 20-foot container, a T4 commercial bus with registration number AAA 723 YF and nine commercial motorcyclists operating on the restricted highway.
Preliminary findings indicated that the Mack truck lost braking control before crashing into the other vehicles and motorcyclists, triggering a chain-reaction collision.
The impact left four victims, comprising three males and a female, with critical injuries, including multiple fractures to their arms and legs.
The operatives who were conducting routine traffic operations in the area, immediately responded to the scene and commenced rescue and traffic management operations.
The injured victims were extricated from the scene by LASTMA personnel and handed over to officers of the Roro Police Division, who conveyed them to a nearby hospital for urgent medical treatment.
LASTMA officers also secured the accident scene, managed the resulting traffic disruption and facilitated the removal of the damaged vehicles and other obstructions to restore normal traffic movement.
Reacting to the incident in a statement on Tuesday, LASTMA General Manager, Olalekan Bakare-Oki, sympathised with the injured victims and their families and wished them a speedy recovery.
Bakare-Oki said the driver of the Mack truck and the other drivers involved in the crash were handed over to the police for further investigation and possible prosecution, subject to the outcome of the investigation.
He expressed concern over the continued operation of commercial motorcycles on restricted highways, particularly on heavily trafficked routes where interactions with articulated and other heavy-duty vehicles could worsen the consequences of crashes.
The LASTMA boss urged motorists and commercial transport operators to observe traffic regulations and ensure that their vehicles undergo regular and comprehensive mechanical inspections before being deployed on the roads.
He specifically advised operators of articulated vehicles to pay close attention to their braking systems, tyres, steering mechanisms and other safety-critical components.
“Mechanical roadworthiness is not merely a regulatory requirement; it is an indispensable safeguard for the preservation of human lives.”
Bakare-Oki added that compliance with traffic regulations remained essential to reducing avoidable crashes, particularly along major transport corridors experiencing heavy vehicular and commercial activity.