A fully-loaded truck with registration number GGE 624 YJ fell off the Pen Cinema bridge in Lagos State on Saturday, leaving its driver critically injured.
According to a statement from the Director of Public Affairs and Enlightenment Department of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), Adebayo Taofiq, the accident occurred earlier in the day along Agege, Old Abeokuta Road, near the bridge.
Preliminary findings suggested that the driver, who suffered grievous fractures to both hands, lost control of the truck while attempting to navigate the bridge.
As a result, the vehicle plunged from the bridge, crashing onto two commercial buses parked below.
LASTMA officers at the scene rescued the injured driver and handed him over to personnel from the Elere Police Division. He was later taken to the General Hospital in Ile-Epo for urgent medical treatment.
“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,” the statement added.
Expressing deep concern, the General Manager of LASTMA, Olalekan Bakare-Oki, urged all motorists, especially truck drivers, to exercise increased caution, particularly with the rainy season underway.
He emphasized the importance of complying with road safety regulations and encouraged drivers to adhere to the newly installed speed-limiting devices, a measure aimed at reducing accidents and enhancing overall road safety.
Bakare-Oki also conveyed heartfelt wishes for the speedy and full recovery of the injured driver.
