The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) Special Night Gang Patrol Team has apprehended the driver of a heavily loaded truck after crushing his motor boy to death.

LASTMA general manager, Olalekan Bakare-Oki, said this in a statement on Thursday in Lagos. The agency’s spokesperson, Adebayo Taofiq, signed the statement.

Mr Bakare-Oki said the incident took place at the Ogolonto Traffic Light Intersection, inward Ikorodu Roundabout.

“The ghastly incident occurred at approximately 11:00 p.m., when LASTMA’s vigilant night-duty personnel, who were on a routine patrol for traffic regulation and monitoring within the Ikorodu corridor, swiftly intervened upon witnessing the horrific scene.

“Second preliminary findings from the joint security investigation revealed that the deceased motor boy had alighted from the moving loaded truck.

“He alighted to assist the driver in stabilising the truck by placing a wooden plank beneath its tyres, as the braking mechanism of the vehicle was reportedly defective.

“In the course of this effort, the unfortunate motor boy slipped and fell beneath the rear tyres, which ran over him, resulting in his instantaneous and tragic death,” he said.

The general manager said LASTMA officers cordoned off the accident scene to forestall further chaos.

He said officers ensured the safety of other road users, while operatives of the Ipakodo Police Division were swiftly contacted and arrived at the scene to take over the case.

“The apprehended truck driver was formally handed over to the police for further interrogation and investigation.

“The remains of the deceased were conveyed by police operatives to the General Hospital, Ikorodu, for proper deposition,“ he said.

Mr Bakare-Oki expressed profound grief over the sad occurrence and conveyed his heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family.

He also advised truck drivers and commercial transport operators to conduct regular mechanical inspections of their vehicles, particularly the braking systems, before embarking on any journey.

“Mechanical negligence and poor vehicle maintenance pose severe risks, not only to the operators themselves, but also to the lives of innocent road users,“ the manager said.

(NAN)