LASTMA Arrests Tanker Driver After Fatal Hit-and-Run Kills Delivery Rider in Ikeja

LASTMA Arrests Tanker Driver After Fatal Hit-and-Run Kills Delivery Rider in Ikeja

The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) has arrested a tanker driver who allegedly fled the scene after fatally knocking down a commercial delivery motorcycle rider along Kodesho Road in the Ikeja area of Lagos, handing the suspect over to the police for investigation and prosecution.

The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) said the tragic incident occurred opposite Mrs Filling Station on Kodesho Road, inward Awolowo Way/Oba Akran, along the Maryland-Ikeja axis.

According to the agency, the fully laden tanker, bearing registration number T-19089LA and conveying 33-litre groundnut oil, struck and crushed the delivery rider, who died instantly.

LASTMA said the driver allegedly attempted to evade arrest by speeding away from the scene without assisting the victim or notifying the appropriate authorities. However, officers of the agency, acting on a distress alert, pursued and intercepted the tanker before apprehending the driver.

The suspect and the vehicle were subsequently handed over to the State Traffic Department (STD), Area 'F' Police Command, Ikeja, for further investigation and possible prosecution.

The traffic management agency added that its personnel secured the accident scene, managed traffic flow and coordinated emergency response efforts to ensure uninterrupted vehicular movement along Kodesho Road during the recovery operation.

Fellow delivery riders who witnessed the incident contacted the deceased's family and expressed grief over the loss of their colleague.

Reacting to the incident, LASTMA General Manager, Olalekan Bakare-Oki, extended condolences to the victim's family, describing the fatal crash as both heartbreaking and preventable.

He urged operators of articulated vehicles, tankers and other heavy-duty trucks to adhere strictly to traffic regulations, stressing the need for professionalism and vigilance on the roads.

Bakare-Oki warned that reckless driving, excessive speeding and fleeing the scene of an accident are serious offences that endanger lives and would attract the full weight of the law.

He also reaffirmed LASTMA's commitment to working closely with the Nigeria Police Force and other emergency response agencies to improve road safety, ensure prompt incident management and maintain free flow of traffic across Lagos State.

The agency encouraged members of the public to report road crashes and traffic emergencies through its toll-free emergency hotline, 3367, for immediate response.