The operatives of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), in the early hours of Sunday, rescued an injured driver and his ‘motor boy’ from an empty articulated 40ft flatbed truck that fell off from a high bridge inward Apapa in Lagos.
In a press statement released by the director, Public Affairs and Enlightenment Department of LASTMA, Adebayo Taofiq, he confirmed that the incident was caused by over-speeding.
According to Taofiq, the accident happened when the truck was climbing the bridge directly opposite SIFAX Company by Ijora Olopa inward Apapa.
He said, “The injured driver was rescued by LASTMA personnel in a pool of blood gushing out from his head while the motor boy sustained a serious waist fracture by his spinal cord.
“A preliminary investigation revealed that the driver of the articulated 40ft empty flat bed truck lost total control due to brake failure while struggling a ‘Right of Way’ (R.O.W) with another fully loaded truck trying to climb the High Bridge inward Apapa.
“Immediately the unfortunate incident happened, other articulated truck drivers around SIFAX Company supported LASTMA personnel and rescued both the driver and motor boy who were trapped under the truck.”
It was further gathered that Goriola Jimoh ‘Zebra’ (Zone 22) Apapa, who led the rescue operations, confirmed that the rescued driver and his ‘motor boy’ were rushed to the General Hospital at Apapa for immediate medical treatment.
The crashed articulated truck was evacuated by officials of LASTMA Response Unit (LRU) while LASTMA personnel handed over the case to Police men from Ijora-Badia Police Station for further investigation.
The General Manager of LASTMA, Bakare Oki, appealed to owners of articulated trucks to always carry out periodic safety training and enlightenment campaigns for their drivers on the need to obey road signs and speed limit while driving on highways within and outside the State.