Dispatch Rider Dies In Lagos Tanker Crash

A dispatch rider has died in a road accident involving a tanker at the Motorways inward Estate area of Alapere, Lagos.

The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), in a statement by its spokesperson, Adebayo Taofiq, said preliminary findings showed that the driver of an empty NIPCO tanker, allegedly speeding along the Estate axis, rammed into the moving rider, killing him on the spot.

According to Taofiq, the incident triggered tension in the area as a group of angry dispatch riders reportedly attacked the tanker driver following the crash.

“The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) profoundly regrets to report a fatal road traffic incident that occurred at Motorways inward Estate area of Alapere, Lagos, culminating in the untimely demise of a dispatch “AOC” rider,” the statement read.

It added, “Preliminary findings indicate that the driver of an empty ‘NIPCO’ tanker (TTN-776ZQ) operating at an excessive velocity inward the Estate axis of Alapere, violently collided with the moving dispatch rider.

“The devastating impact resulted in the instantaneous death of the rider, casting a sombre atmosphere over the vicinity.”

LASTMA officials, however, swiftly intervened, preventing further escalation and restoring order at the scene.

The agency said its officers rescued the injured tanker driver from the mob and handed him over to the Lagos State Ambulance Service (LASAMBUS), which took him to a nearby hospital for immediate treatment.

Operatives from the Alausa Police Station were also deployed to the scene to disperse the crowd and maintain security.

LASTMA General Manager, Olalekan Bakare-Oki, expressed condolences to the family of the deceased rider, describing the incident as tragic.

Bakare-Oki further stressed the need for greater caution on the roads, noting that all users share responsibility for safety.

Taofiq said the tanker and the wreckage of the motorcycle have been handed over to the police, while investigations into the incident are ongoing.