In a tragic incident in the Surulere area of Lagos State, a tricycle rider was fatally crushed by the compactor of a refuse truck that fell from a bridge.
The accident, which occurred on Tuesday evening, involved a truck belonging to the Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA).
The truck was traversing the Shitta bridge when it experienced a mechanical fault, leading to a loss of control. This resulted in the truck crashing into a Kia Salon car on the bridge.
The force of the collision caused the truck’s compactor to detach and fall onto a mini-commercial bus and a tricycle below the bridge.
It is reported that about seven passengers in the mini-bus survived the crash. However, the tricycle rider was not as fortunate and died at the scene.
The Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) confirmed the incident, stating that their response team reached the scene around 10:20 pm following a distress call.
Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, the Permanent Secretary of the agency, released a statement on Wednesday detailing the events. He explained that the LAWMA truck suffered a mechanical error, resulting in the multi-vehicle accident and the unfortunate death of the tricyclist.
The deceased’s body was subsequently recovered and transported to the Infectious Disease Hospital, Yaba, for post-mortem procedures.
Oke-Osanyintolu also noted that all vehicles involved in the accident were moved to the Iponri Police Station. T
he LAWMA truck was taken to the agency’s yard in Ijora using heavy-duty equipment. The response team at the scene included members from LASEMA, LASAMBUS, LASTMA, the Surulere Divisional Police Officer, and officers from the Iponri Police Station.
