Miracle Escape For Infant As Commercial Bus Hits Pedestrians In Lagos

An eight-month-old baby narrowly escaped death on Thursday after a commercial bus rammed into a group of pedestrians attempting to cross the Lagos–Ibadan Expressway at Otedola, inward Tollgate, leaving four adults with severe injuries.

It was gathered that the frightening incident, which also involved multiple vehicles, occurred in the early hours when an LT commercial bus, reportedly approaching at high speed, lost control and struck the pedestrians, one of whom had the infant strapped to her back.

The force of the impact triggered a chain collision involving a Hydra truck, a Ford vehicle, and an unregistered Mark flat-body truck, according to preliminary findings from security personnel.

The spokesperson of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), Mr Adebayo Taofiq, confirmed the incident.

In a swift rescue operation, he said LASTMA officers pulled the infant from the scene unhurt, describing the child’s survival as nothing short of miraculous.

The four injured pedestrians were stabilised and rushed to the Lagos State Accident & Emergency Centre at Tollgate for urgent medical attention.

“Preliminary findings by security personnel indicate that the four severely injured pedestrians, one of whom bore an eight-month-old baby securely strapped to her back, were attempting to traverse the expressway when the LT commercial bus, approaching at a perilously excessive speed, catastrophically rammed into them.

“The force of the impact precipitated a secondary chain collision involving the remaining vehicles, including the unregistered Mark truck,” Adebayo said in a statement.

Operatives from the Alausa Police Station provided support throughout the emergency response, helping to secure the area and assist rescue workers.

LASTMA personnel later cleared all damaged vehicles from the road, restoring normal traffic flow along the heavily travelled corridor.

LASTMA General Manager, Mr Olalekan Bakare-Oki, sympathised with the victims and wished them a speedy recovery.

He also cautioned pedestrians to make proper use of pedestrian bridges provided by the government, warning that crossing high-speed highways remains a deadly and unnecessary risk.

THE WHISTLER reports that a tragic road accident in the early hours of Sunday claimed the life of one woman and left six others seriously injured at Majidun, inward Ogolonto, along Ikorodu Road in Lagos.

The accident occurred directly opposite the MRS Filling Station and involved a Volkswagen commercial bus and a stationary tipper truck.

Preliminary findings revealed the commercial bus—chartered to transport passengers to a programme in Ogijo—suffered a sudden brake failure.

The bus driver, who was reportedly driving at a very high speed, lost control and violently collided with the tipper truck, which was parked by the roadside to purchase diesel.

The impact led to the instant death of an adult female passenger. Five other female occupants and one male sustained severe, life-threatening injuries.