An elderly man has died after being flung out of a moving truck that overturned around the TREM axis of Gbagada, inward Oshodi, Lagos State.
The incident occurred at midnight when a fully loaded Mercedes-Benz six-tyre truck, with registration number ABJ 37 AC, reportedly suffered a sudden tyre burst, causing the driver to lose control and the vehicle to overturn.
The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) in a statement issued on Sunday by its spokesperson, Adebayo Taofiq, said the truck was conveying assorted consignments, including sealed bags and newly branded event chairs, when the accident occurred.
According to the agency, the elderly passenger, who was seated in the front cabin, was thrown out of the vehicle during the driver’s attempt to stabilise the truck. He reportedly struck his head against a sharp object and died instantly.
“Security findings indicate that the truck, which was conveying assorted consignments, including numerous sealed bags and newly branded event chairs, was travelling at considerable speed when its front tyre suddenly burst, resulting in the driver losing control of the vehicle,” the statement said.
“In the ensuing struggle to stabilise the truck, an elderly male passenger seated in the front cabin flung out of the vehicle and struck his head against a sharp object. The impact proved fatal, resulting in his instantaneous death.”
LASTMA’s Night Rescue Team, which was conducting surveillance along major traffic corridors, promptly arrived at the scene, cordoned off the area and evacuated the deceased from the busy carriageway into a Lagos State Emergency Medical Services (SEHMU) ambulance.
The rescue operation also received support from personnel of Pedro Police Division and the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service.
The agency said its operatives deployed traffic cones and emergency warning signals to prevent secondary collisions and ensure the safe movement of approaching motorists.
However, the overturned truck could not be immediately recovered because of the volume and nature of its cargo. Arrangements were subsequently made to transfer the consignments into another truck before recovery.
Reacting to the incident, LASTMA General Manager, Olalekan Bakare-Oki, expressed condolences to the deceased’s family and described the incident as a painful and avoidable loss.
Bakare-Oki condemned excessive speeding, warning that it reduces drivers’ reaction time, compromises vehicle stability and increases the severity of road crashes, particularly when unexpected mechanical failures occur.
He said the consequences of the accident could have been less severe if the truck had been travelling at a controlled speed, despite the sudden tyre burst.
The LASTMA boss urged heavy-duty vehicle operators, commercial transporters and other motorists to observe speed limits, conduct regular vehicle inspections and pay attention to the condition of their tyres, braking systems and other critical components before embarking on journeys.
He also advised drivers to remain composed and apply appropriate vehicle-control techniques when faced with sudden mechanical failures.
Bakare-Oki reaffirmed LASTMA’s commitment to traffic surveillance, emergency response and collaboration with other agencies to protect lives and ensure road safety across Lagos State.
The latest incident comes less than two weeks after four people died and 13 others sustained critical injuries in a collision involving a truck and a commercial bus on Alaro City Bridge, inward T-Junction, Epe, Lagos State.
The truck driver also sustained severe injuries, including the loss of both legs, which became trapped in the wreckage.
Preliminary accounts indicated that the truck rammed into the fully loaded commercial bus while both vehicles were traversing the single-lane bridge, trapping several victims in the wreckage.
