Truck driver arrested after crash kills pedestrian, motorcyclist in Lagos

A truck driver has been arrested after a crash along the Badagry Expressway in Lagos, which allegedly claimed the lives of a pedestrian and a motorcyclist.

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The incident occurred around the Iyana-Iba Flyover inward the main gate of Lagos State University, according to the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA).

In a statement shared on X on Sunday by LASTMA spokesperson Adebayo Taofiq, the agency said the driver of a heavily loaded bucket truck was travelling from Volkswagen toward Badagry when he knocked down a pedestrian.

The agency alleged that the driver failed to stop after the accident and continued driving along the expressway.

LASTMA said a motorcyclist, accompanied by another person, pursued the truck in an attempt to stop the driver.

“In a courageous yet tragic attempt to intercept the fleeing vehicle, a motorcyclist, accompanied by another sympathiser, pursued the truck with the intention of compelling the driver to stop and face the consequences of his actions,” the statement stated.

The agency noted the chase ended in another fatal collision after the truck allegedly rammed into the motorcycle.

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“However, in a shocking turn of events, the truck driver rammed violently into the motorcycle during the pursuit, resulting in the instantaneous death of the motorcyclist, while the accompanying sympathiser miraculously escaped unhurt,” LASTMA added.

The agency explained that officials of its Night Gang Surveillance and Monitoring Patrol Team arrived at the scene shortly after the incident and evacuated the body of the motorcyclist, who was trapped beneath the truck.

It added that the truck driver was arrested and handed over to security operatives at the PPL Police Post, Okokomaiko, alongside officials of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) for further investigation.

According to LASTMA, FRSC officials evacuated the remains of the motorcyclist, while relatives of the pedestrian later recovered the victim’s body.

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The agency also said the truck and the damaged motorcycle were moved to the police post pending the conclusion of investigations.

The latest incident adds to a series of fatal truck accidents recorded on Lagos roads in recent months. In February, a truck reportedly suffering brake failure killed a LASTMA officer and two other persons at the Badagry Roundabout inward Seme.

LASTMA has repeatedly blamed excessive speeding, reckless driving and mechanical failures involving articulated vehicles for many of the fatal crashes recorded across major highways in the state.

The General Manager of LASTMA, Olalekan Bakare-Oki, described the incident as a reminder of the dangers of reckless driving by truck operators and other motorists.

He urged drivers to obey traffic regulations and speed limits to prevent avoidable deaths on Lagos roads.