…the Lagos tragic road crash claimed the lives of the driver, conductor and six others.
The iNews Times reports that a devastating road crash occurred at Atura Bus Stop in Badagry, Lagos, resulting in eight fatalities and eight injuries.
It was learnt that the accident involved a 16-seater commercial Mazda bus (registration: KJA 811 YF) and a DAF truck (registration: T1 4636 LA).
According to the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), the road crash was attributed to carelessness and overspeeding by the commercial bus driver.
The incident happened at Atura Bus Stop, inbound Badagry, leaving eight people dead, including the driver and conductor of the bus. Eight others sustained injuries and were rushed to the General Hospital in Badagry for medical attention.
LASTMA personnel, along with the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC), Nigeria Police Force, and the Nigerian Army, launched a coordinated rescue operation at the accident scene.
Their timely intervention led to the successful extraction of eight surviving passengers, all of whom sustained varying degrees of injuries. These casualties were immediately evacuated to the General Hospital, Badagry, via an FRSC vehicle for critical medical attention.
Preliminary investigation revealed that the driver of the commercial bus lost control while navigating at a perilously high speed, leading to a collision with a DAF truck.
The resultant impact was described as cataclysmic, leaving little chance for evasion or survival for several occupants of the bus.
The General Manager of LASTMA, Olalekan Bakare-Oki, visited the crash site, extending condolences to the bereaved families and praying for their fortitude. “This heart-wrenching incident is a painful reminder of the fragility of life and the urgent need for all road users to embrace caution. No journey should end in such tragedy. May the Almighty grant the deceased eternal rest and console those left behind,” he declared.
Bakare-Oki wished a swift recovery to the surviving victims and urged commercial and heavy-duty vehicle operators to avoid excessive speeding, adhere to safety protocols, and maintain their vehicles regularly to prevent fatalities.
“This regrettable loss of lives could have been avoided if the basic tenets of defensive driving and vehicular safety had been upheld. Speed remains a silent killer on our highways,” he emphasized.
LASTMA highlighted its shift from conventional traffic regulation to holistic incident management, aligning with Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s THEMES Plus Agenda, which prioritizes preventive safety, rapid emergency response, and infrastructural innovation. “We are no longer merely controlling traffic; we are managing emergencies, mitigating disasters, and saving lives. This is the ethos of contemporary traffic administration,” Bakare-Oki stated.
