The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) has arrested a tanker driver who allegedly fled after knocking down and killing a dispatch rider in the Maryland-Ikeja area of Lagos.
The crash occurred on Wednesday on Kodesho Road, opposite Mrs Filling Station, inward Awolowo Way and Oba Akran.
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The tanker, with registration number T-19089LA, was loaded with 33-litre groundnut oil when it allegedly struck and fatally crushed the rider.
The incident was disclosed in a statement on X by LASTMA’s Director of Public Affairs and Enlightenment Department, Adebayo Taofiq.
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The agency explained that the driver fled the scene after the crash without assisting the victim or reporting the incident to the authorities.
“Upon receiving the distress alert, vigilant LASTMA officers mounted an immediate pursuit, successfully intercepted the fleeing vehicle and apprehended the driver before he could escape,” the statement said.
The driver and the tanker were later handed over to the State Traffic Department, Area F Police Command, Ikeja, for investigation and prosecution.
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LASTMA officials also secured the scene, managed traffic and coordinated the emergency response during the recovery operation.
The agency noted that fellow dispatch riders at the scene informed the deceased rider’s family and commiserated with them over the loss.
The latest incident adds to a series of fatal crashes involving dispatch riders and heavy-duty vehicles reported in Lagos in recent months.
In May, a dispatch rider was killed in a crash reportedly involving a commercial minibus and an articulated trailer along the Ilupeju Bypass. In April, two other dispatch riders died in separate crashes involving a tanker and a heavy-duty truck in Alapere and at Otedola Bridge.
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The recurring crashes have drawn attention to the risks faced by dispatch riders, who spend long hours navigating busy roads, and the dangers created by interactions between motorcycles and articulated vehicles.
Reacting to the latest crash, LASTMA General Manager, Olalekan Bakare-Oki, described it as “heartbreaking and avoidable.”
He urged operators of articulated vehicles, tankers and other heavy-duty trucks to exercise greater caution and comply with traffic regulations.
Mr Bakare-Oki warned that reckless driving, excessive speed and fleeing an accident scene were serious offences that endangered lives and could attract prosecution.
He reaffirmed LASTMA’s commitment to working with the Nigeria Police Force and other emergency response agencies to ensure prompt management of road crashes, protect lives and maintain the free flow of traffic across Lagos.
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