A man narrowly cheated death in the early hours of Saturday after a container-laden truck crushed a Toyota Sienna minivan along the Idi-Iroko inbound Maryland axis of Ikorodu Road, Lagos.
According to the spokesperson of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), Mr. Adebayo Taofiq, the accident occurred around 1:30 a.m.
He said preliminary findings revealed the truck suffered a brake failure while moving at high speed, causing the driver to lose control.
The container it was carrying detached and toppled onto the minivan, completely crushing it.
Officials from LASTMA, who responded swiftly to emergency calls, led a late-night rescue operation.
The man, whose identity has not been disclosed, was miraculously rescued alive and immediately treated by personnel of the Lagos State Ambulance Service (LASAMBUS).
“The LASTMA midnight surveillance and rescue unit responded swiftly to distress calls. Upon arrival, officers employed an array of high-grade rescue apparatus and executed a painstaking extraction operation.
“Their valiant and highly synchronized efforts led to the miraculous rescue of a male occupant who had been pinned within the wreckage of the minivan and was treated by Operatives of LASAMBUS,” Adebayo said in a statement.
However, the driver of the truck fled the scene, reportedly fearing mob attack or prosecution under the assumption that the accident was fatal.
The mangled minivan was later towed to the Anthony Police Station, while the truck and its dislodged container were impounded and moved to LASTMA’s operational headquarters for further investigation.
Reacting to the incident, the General Manager of LASTMA, Mr. Olalekan Bakare-Oki, praised the rescue team for their swift response.
Bakare-Oki called on all truck drivers and operators to adhere strictly to safety standards and traffic regulations to prevent similar occurrences.
“This deeply distressing incident highlights, yet again, the perilous consequences of mechanical laxity, reckless driving, and habitual speeding on our thoroughfares.
“We therefore issue an urgent appeal to all truck operators to uphold the highest safety standards and adhere strictly to extant traffic regulations to forestall further avoidable disasters,” he said.
Bakare-Oki also wished the rescued victim a speedy recovery.
