Fuel tanker crushes dispatch rider to death in Lagos, LASTMA arrests driver

By Olasunkanmi Akoni

A commercial dispatch rider was on Wednesday crushed to death by a fuel tanker along Kodesho Road in Ikeja, Lagos, while the driver was later arrested by officials of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) after attempting to flee the scene.

The accident occurred at about noon opposite MRS Filling Station, inward Awolowo Way/Oba Akran, along the Maryland-Ikeja axis.

According to LASTMA, the fully loaded tanker, with registration number T-19089 LA, was conveying 33,000 litres of groundnut oil when it struck the motorcycle rider, who died instantly.

The agency said the driver attempted to escape without rendering assistance to the victim or reporting the incident to the authorities.

The General Manager of LASTMA, Mr. Olalekan Bakare-Oki, said the agency’s officers swiftly pursued and intercepted the fleeing tanker before arresting the driver.

“Upon receiving the distress alert, vigilant LASTMA officers mounted an immediate pursuit, successfully intercepted the fleeing vehicle and apprehended the driver before he could escape,” Bakare-Oki said.

He added that the driver and the tanker had been handed over to the State Traffic Department (STD), Area F Police Command, Ikeja, for further investigation and possible prosecution.

LASTMA officials secured the accident scene and managed traffic to ensure the free flow of vehicles during the evacuation process.

Colleagues of the deceased who arrived at the scene later contacted his family and expressed grief over the incident.

Bakare-Oki described the accident as “heartbreaking and avoidable,” extending condolences to the bereaved family.

He urged drivers of articulated vehicles, tankers and other heavy-duty trucks to exercise caution, professionalism and strict compliance with traffic regulations.

“Reckless driving, excessive speed and the criminal act of fleeing accident scenes constitute grave offences that endanger innocent lives and attract the full weight of the law,” he said.

The LASTMA boss reiterated the agency’s commitment to road safety, adding that it would continue to collaborate with the Nigeria Police Force and other emergency responders to enhance traffic management and public safety across Lagos.

He also urged residents to report traffic emergencies and road crashes through LASTMA’s toll-free emergency line, 3367.

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