LASTMA Arrests Fleeing Tanker Driver After Rider’s Death

The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) has apprehended a tanker driver who allegedly fled after fatally knocking down a commercial delivery motorcycle rider along Kodesho Road, opposite Mrs Filling Station, inward Awolowo Way and Oba Akran in the Maryland-Ikeja area of Lagos.

The agency’s Director of Public Affairs and Enlightenment Department, Adebayo Taofiq, disclosed this in a statement issued on X on Wednesday.

According to the statement, the crash involved a fully laden tanker conveying 33-litre groundnut oil and bearing registration number T-19089LA.
LASTMA said the tanker “violently struck and fatally crushed the delivery rider, resulting in his instantaneous death.”

The agency alleged that the driver attempted to flee the scene without rendering assistance to the victim or reporting the incident to the relevant authorities.

“Upon receiving the distress alert, vigilant LASTMA Officers mounted an immediate pursuit, successfully intercepted the fleeing vehicle and apprehended the driver before he could escape,” the statement said.

LASTMA added that the suspect and the tanker had been handed over to the State Traffic Department, Area ‘F’ Police Command, Ikeja, for investigation and prosecution.

The agency said its officials also secured the accident scene, managed traffic and coordinated emergency response operations to ensure the free flow of vehicles during the recovery exercise.

It added that fellow dispatch riders at the scene informed the deceased’s family about the incident and expressed condolences to the victim’s colleagues and relatives.

Reacting to the incident, LASTMA General Manager, Olalekan Bakare-Oki, described the crash as “both heartbreaking and avoidable.”

Bakare-Oki urged operators of articulated vehicles, tankers and other heavy-duty trucks to exercise greater caution and comply strictly with traffic regulations.

He warned that reckless driving, excessive speed and fleeing accident scenes were serious offences that endangered lives and could attract legal consequences.

The LASTMA boss reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to collaborating with the Nigeria Police Force and other emergency response agencies to ensure prompt incident management, protect lives and maintain smooth vehicular movement across Lagos State.