Lagos truck falls on commercial tricycle, kills policeman, woman

A 40-foot container truck marked, XP 368 AKD on Tuesday overturned on a commercial tricycle with number plate, KJA 364 QN, conveying passengers along Ijora Causeway, killing two of the passengers and injuring others.

It was gathered that the articulated vehicle, while attempting a manoeuvre under the Ijora Bridge, lost control and fell, crushing the tricycle.

Two passengers in the tricycle, among them a serving police officer, were killed instantly.

Adebayo Taofiq, the Director, Public Affairs and Enlightenment Department of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), confirmed the incident, describing it as “most lamentable.”

He said the remains of the deceased policeman were had been taken to a morgue at Yaba by security operatives, adding that grief-stricken relatives of the second victim, a female passenger, had retrieved the remains of their loved one.

He added in a statement, “In a valiant rescue operation spearheaded by LASTMA operatives in concert with allied emergency responders, two additional victims, including the tricycle operator, were extricated alive, though they sustained severe bilateral leg fractures.

“The injured were transported by the Lagos State Ambulance Service (LASAMBUS) to Jimsan Hospital, Gasikiya, Ijora, for urgent medical intervention.

“To avert a descent into chaos, combined detachments of security personnel drawn from Badia, Trinity, and Kirikiri Police divisions established robust security cordons. Their decisive presence pacified irate onlookers, who had attempted to set the containerized truck ablaze, and safeguarded the emergency responders throughout the duration of the rescue operations.

“The General Manager of LASTMA, Mr. Olalekan Bakare-Oki, has expressed profound condolences to the bereaved families of the late police officer and the deceased female passenger, describing the tragedy as deeply grievous and most regrettable.

“Mr. Bakare-Oki equally lauded the combined emergency and security agencies for their prompt intervention, commendable professionalism, and proactive measures which forestalled further fatalities and prevented escalation of the situation.”