A Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) officer was severely injured, necessitating an emergency amputation, after being struck by a fully loaded trailer driven recklessly in the Ogba corridor of Lagos. This incident was reported by LASTMA’s Director of Public Affairs and Enlightenment, Adebayo Taofiq, on Wednesday.
The officer was heading to his duty post when the trailer, registered in Bauchi State with the number plate KTG 33 ZZ, lost control due to excessive speed, leading to a collision. The impact resulted in a serious fracture to the officer’s right leg and hand, requiring an immediate amputation at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH).
According to the statement, “The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) has unequivocally condemned the egregious recklessness of a fully loaded trailer driver, whose imprudent speeding and subsequent loss of vehicular control culminated in a devastating accident at the Ojodu Berger axis of Lagos.”
The trailer driver attempted to escape but was promptly captured by security operatives from Ojodu Police Station, working in tandem with LASTMA officials.
“The tragic incident transpired while the LASTMA officer was en route to commence his afternoon duty, underscoring the perilous consequences of careless driving on public roads,” the statement continued.
Further details revealed that the trailer was moving from Agidingbi by Oba Ogunji Road towards Omole Junction when it lost control. “The sheer impact of the crash inflicted severe trauma on the LASTMA officer, leading to a grievous fracture of his right leg and hand. Upon emergency medical assessment at the Surgical Emergency Centre of the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), attending specialists determined that the extent of the injuries necessitated an immediate amputation of his right leg.”
LASTMA’s General Manager, Mr. Olalekan Bakare-Oki, visited the injured officer at LASUTH, condemning the accident and highlighting the preventability of such tragedies if road safety protocols were followed. “He admonished trailer and truck operators, alongside all motorists, to uphold a heightened sense of safety consciousness, stressing the inestimable value of human life,” the statement concluded.