An elderly man has died after falling out of a moving truck following a tyre burst around the TREM axis of Gbagada, inward Oshodi, Lagos State.
The accident involved a fully loaded Mercedes-Benz six-tyre truck with registration number ABJ 37 AC, which was reportedly travelling at high speed when its front tyre burst, causing the driver to lose control.
The spokesperson for the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), Adebayo Taofiq, disclosed this in a statement on Sunday.
According to Taofiq, the elderly man, who was seated in the truck’s front cabin, was thrown out of the vehicle during the incident and struck his head against a sharp object, resulting in his instant death.
He said LASTMA’s Night Rescue Team, which was conducting surveillance along major traffic corridors, arrived promptly and secured the accident scene.
The team subsequently evacuated the victim’s body from the busy carriageway into an ambulance belonging to the Lagos State Emergency Medical Services to prevent further danger to other road users.
Personnel of the Pedro Police Division and the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service also participated in the emergency response.
Taofiq explained that the overturned truck could not be immediately removed because of the volume and nature of its cargo.
He said arrangements were therefore made to transfer the assorted goods into another truck before the damaged vehicle could be recovered.
Reacting to the tragedy, LASTMA General Manager, Olalekan Bakare-Oki, expressed condolences to the deceased’s family, describing the incident as a painful and avoidable loss.
Bakare-Oki warned motorists against excessive speeding, noting that it reduces reaction time, compromises vehicle stability and increases the severity of accidents, particularly when mechanical failures occur.
He urged operators of heavy-duty vehicles, commercial transporters and other motorists to observe speed limits, conduct regular vehicle inspections and pay close attention to the condition of their tyres and braking systems.
He also advised drivers to remain calm and maintain control of their vehicles when confronted with sudden mechanical problems.
The LASTMA boss reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to traffic surveillance, emergency response and collaboration with other relevant agencies to improve road safety across Lagos.