A police officer riding a Bajaj motorcycle has lost his life in a fatal road accident involving a Lexus vehicle on the Third Mainland Bridge in Lagos.
The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, LASTMA, confirmed the incident in a statement saying the crash occurred on the Third Mainland Bridge around the Adekunle axis inward Iyana Oworo.
According to the agency, the accident happened when the driver of a Lexus Jeep with registration number EPE 765 JN rammed into the police officer while he was riding the motorcycle along the bridge.
LASTMA disclosed that the police officer died instantly from injuries sustained in the collision.
The statement added that the driver of the Lexus vehicle immediately turned himself in at the Adekunle Police Division after the incident.
Reacting to the development, LASTMA expressed sadness over the fatal accident and described the incident as unfortunate.
The agency stated that upon receiving distress calls, its officials quickly moved to the scene alongside personnel of the Nigeria Police Force to manage the situation and control traffic around the area.
According to the statement, emergency safety measures were immediately put in place to prevent further accidents and ensure the safety of other road users on the busy bridge corridor.
“In a bid to avert secondary collisions and guarantee the safety of other road users, traffic cones and cautionary safety devices were strategically positioned around the affected corridor while police operatives commenced proper documentation and investigative procedures relating to the unfortunate occurrence,” the statement said.
LASTMA further explained that evacuation and recovery efforts were also carried out to remove the affected vehicles and restore normal traffic flow on the bridge.
“Furthermore, coordinated evacuation and recovery operations were immediately activated to facilitate the removal of the accidented vehicles and restore full operational normalcy along the bridge corridor,” the agency added.
Despite the fatal incident, LASTMA noted that traffic movement along the route was effectively managed due to the prompt intervention of its officers deployed to the area.
The General Manager of LASTMA, Mr. Olalekan Bakare-Oki, urged motorists to drive responsibly and obey traffic regulations to prevent avoidable loss of lives on Lagos roads.
He stressed the need for drivers to maintain speed limits and avoid reckless driving capable of endangering public safety.
Bakare-Oki said motorists must also remain conscious of the value of human life and comply with existing traffic laws to reduce the growing number of road fatalities across the state.
