LASTMA arrests tanker driver for killing dispatch rider in Lagos

The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority has arrested a tanker driver who reportedly ran away after hitting a commercial delivery motorcycle rider. This incident happened on Kodesho Road, right opposite Mrs Filling Station, towards Awolowo Way/Oba Akran in the Maryland-Ikeja area.

A statement from the agency’s Director of Public Affairs, Adebayo Taofiq, shared on X on Wednesday, said the crash involved a tanker loaded with 33-litre groundnut oil.

The statement revealed that the tanker, with registration number T-19089LA, “violently struck and fatally crushed the delivery rider, resulting in his instantaneous death.”

LASTMA mentioned that the driver tried to escape without helping the victim or reporting the accident to the authorities. “In a reprehensible attempt to evade justice, the tanker driver reportedly sped away from the accident scene without rendering assistance to the victim or notifying the relevant authorities,” the statement said.

Once they got the distress call, LASTMA Officers quickly started a pursuit. They intercepted the fleeing tanker and arrested the driver before he could get away.

The agency stated that the driver and the tanker were handed over to the State Traffic Department at Area ‘F’ Police Command in Ikeja for a detailed investigation and prosecution.

LASTMA officials also secured the accident scene, managed traffic, and coordinated emergency response to ensure vehicles could move freely during the recovery operation.

The statement added that other dispatch riders at the scene informed the family of the deceased about the incident and shared their condolences over the loss of their colleague.

In reaction to the incident, the General Manager of LASTMA, Olalekan Bakare-Oki, called the crash “both heartbreaking and avoidable.”

He emphasized the agency’s dedication to road safety. He urged drivers of large vehicles and tankers to be more careful.

“He reiterated the Agency’s unwavering commitment to road safety and passionately appealed to operators of articulated vehicles, tankers and other heavy-duty trucks to exercise the highest degree of professionalism, vigilance and compliance with all traffic regulations,” the statement noted.

Bakare-Oki warned that “reckless driving, excessive speed and the criminal act of fleeing accident scenes constitute grave offences that endanger innocent lives and attract the full weight of the law.”

He also reaffirmed LASTMA’s commitment to working with the Nigeria Police Force and other emergency response agencies. This is to ensure quick incident management, protect lives, and keep traffic moving smoothly across Lagos State.