Dare Babalola
A four-year-old boy, his mother, and 12 others narrowly escaped death in a horrific crash involving a Mazda commercial bus at Coaster Road, Okun Ajah, Lagos, on Wednesday.
According to Adebayo Taofiq, Director, Public Affairs and Enlightenment Department of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), in a statement on Wednesday, the incident would have ended in multiple fatalities.
Taofiq said the vehicle suddenly destabilised, somersaulted, and came to rest on its side, entrapping passengers in the wreckage and causing visible trauma.
He added that the impact drew immediate attention from bystanders and emergency responders. LASTMA personnel arrived promptly, displaying commendable operational efficiency.
The statement disclosed that the officers demonstrated commendable professionalism and humanitarian concern by promptly extricating the injured from the wreckage and coordinating urgent medical evacuation.
The four-year-old child, his mother, and two others were swiftly taken to Mother & Child Hospital, Abraham Adesanya, for immediate care.
Other injured passengers were transported to nearby healthcare facilities courtesy of compassionate Good Samaritans who provided critical assistance post-crash.
While the definitive cause of the accident could not be ascertained, the matter has been formally transferred to the Police Division at Abraham Adesanya for comprehensive inquiry and requisite legal procedures.
The General Manager of LASTMA, Olalekan Bakare-Oki conveyed profound sympathy to the victims and their families, extending earnest wishes for their prompt and complete recuperation.
He sternly admonished motorists particularly operators of commercial vehicles against the perils of reckless and cavalier driving.
He emphasised that no journey, irrespective of urgency, warrants the imperilment of human life, underscoring that scrupulous adherence to statutory speed limits and extant traffic regulations is not merely a legal requirement but a moral imperative.
LASTMA once again implores all motorists to exercise heightened vigilance, uphold vehicular discipline and accord primacy to the sanctity of human life at all times.
