Truck Crushes Cyclist To Death At LASUTH Bridge In Lagos

A yet-to-be-identified cyclist has been run over by a DAF articulated truck at the LASUTH Bridge, Ikeja, Lagos State.

The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) confirmed the incident in a statement by its spokesperson, Adebayo Taofiq, on Monday.

LASTMA said preliminary security findings revealed that the tragic episode unfolded as both the cyclist and the heavy-duty truck advancing from the Maryland axis simultaneously attempted to negotiate the roundabout underneath the bridge.

It added that the situation left the cyclist unable to maintain a safe clearance from the moving truck, which resulted in the cyclist being violently crushed to death on the spot.

“The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) has formally confirmed a heart-rending and fatal road traffic occurrence beneath the LASUTH Bridge at the traffic signal corridor inward Airport Road, Ikeja, involving a DAF articulated truck and an unsuspecting cyclist,” the statement reads partly.

“Preliminary security findings reveal that the tragic episode unfolded as both the cyclist and the heavy-duty truck advancing from the Maryland axis, simultaneously attempted to negotiate the roundabout underneath the bridge.

“In the course of this perilous convergence, the cyclist was reportedly unable to maintain a safe clearance from the moving truck. Within a matter of moments, the situation escalated disastrously, resulting in the cyclist being violently crushed and succumbing to fatal injuries on the spot,” it added.

According to Taofiq, LASTMA operatives were able to apprehend the truck driver as he tried to flee from the scene.

“LASTMA operatives who were actively deployed to regulate and control vehicular movement at the location responded with exemplary alacrity. Their prompt and decisive action culminated in the immediate apprehension of the truck driver, who had attempted to abscond from the scene to evade culpability.

“The suspect was thereafter handed over to security personnel from the Ikeja Police Division for thorough investigation and prosecution in line with extant laws, he said.

He also noted that officials of the State Environmental Health Monitoring Unit (SHEMU) were urgently summoned to evacuate the remains of the deceased cyclist from the carriageway, thereby ensuring public safety and operational orderliness at the scene.

The Special Adviser to the Governor on Transportation, Hon. Sola Giwa, expressed deep sorrow over the needless and irreplaceable loss of life, while extending his heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family.

He offered prayers that Almighty God grants the family the fortitude, resilience and divine comfort required to endure the profound grief occasioned by the tragedy.

He further cautioned cyclists and commercial motorbike riders to prioritise their safety while navigating Lagos roads.

Giwa reiterated that cyclists must strictly comply with traffic regulations and refrain from plying expressways, highways, and other major arterial routes where their exposure to danger is considerably amplified.

According to him, “The Lagos State Government has, over time, sustained intensive sensitisation initiatives through public jingles and documentary campaigns aimed at enlightening cyclists and other vulnerable road users on the necessity of confining their movements to inner roads, away from highways and high-risk corridors. This safety directive equally applies to skateboard users and other non-motorized conveyances.”