Truck Falls from Bridge in Lagos, Injures Driver

A fully-laden lorry bearing registration number GGE 624 YJ toppled from the Pen Cinema bridge in Lagos State on Saturday, leaving the driver seriously injured.

In a statement, Mr Adebayo Taofiq, Director of Public Affairs and Enlightenment at the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), confirmed that the incident occurred earlier in the day along Agege, Old Abeokuta Road, near the bridge.

Preliminary investigations indicated that the driver, who sustained severe fractures to both arms, lost control whilst manoeuvring across the bridge.

As a result, the lorry plunged from the bridge and landed atop two stationary commercial buses below.

LASTMA officers, who swiftly responded to the scene, extricated the injured driver and handed him over to officers of the Elere Police Division. He was subsequently taken to the General Hospital, Ile-Epo, for urgent medical treatment.

“To protect other road users and prevent further accidents, LASTMA personnel promptly cordoned off the scene and diverted traffic. The LASEMA Response Unit later cleared the wreckage, allowing free flow of traffic to resume,” the statement added.

Expressing deep concern, the General Manager of LASTMA, Mr Olalekan Bakare-Oki, urged all motorists, particularly lorry drivers, to exercise greater caution, especially with the onset of the rainy season.

He emphasised the need for strict adherence to road safety regulations and encouraged compliance with the newly installed speed-limiting devices, introduced to help prevent accidents and enhance road safety.

Mr Bakare-Oki also extended his best wishes for the swift and complete recovery of the injured driver.