- Safiu Kehinde
At least one person has been confirmed dead with three injured in a fatal accident along the Coastal Road in the Victoria Island area of Lagos.
The incident reportedly occurred in the early hours of Friday.
According to a statement issued by the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) Director, Public Affairs and Enlightenment Department, Adebayo Taofiqthe lone accident involved a grey Lexus Jeep 350.
The vehicle overturned after losing control and crashing on a roadside poll.
“Preliminary security information indicated that the vehicle reportedly lost control, violently collided with a roadside pole and subsequently overturned, resulting in three seriously injured victims and one fatality,” The statement partly read.
Taofiq said LASTMA operatives monitoring vehicular movements around the Coastal Road axis “swiftly mobilised to the scene, secured the affected section of the carriageway and facilitated immediate emergency response”.
The three “critically injured victims were extricated” from the crash scene with the “assistance of Good Samaritans and promptly conveyed” to Duck-Yard Hospital within the Military Zone for medical attention.
“The incident was subsequently brought under control, while relevant emergency and security agencies were engaged to undertake the requisite rescue, investigative and safety procedures,” the statement read in part.
It said security personnel from Victoria Island provided the necessary security reinforcement, while LASTMA officers successfully removed the mangled vehicle from the carriageway to avert the possibility of a secondary collision or further catastrophic consequences, thereby restoring unhindered vehicular movement along the axis.
Reacting to the incident, the General Manager of LASTMA, Olalekan Bakare-Oki, has expressed his condolences to the family of the deceased and reiterated his admonition to motorists to exercise heightened vigilance, judicious speed management and unwavering compliance with extant traffic regulations.
Bakare-Oki emphasised that excessive speed, reckless driving and loss of vehicular control could have devastating and irreversible consequences for motorists and other road users.
He asked motorists and members of the public to promptly report road traffic crashes, vehicle breakdowns, obstructions and other emergencies through the LASTMA Toll-Free Short Code 3367 for expeditious intervention.
