One person died after a fully loaded Mercedes‑Benz six‑tyre truck overturned around the TREM axis of Gbagada, inward Oshodi, in Lagos State, in a midnight accident on Thursday.
The deceased was an elderly man whose identity has not yet been established. According to eyewitnesses, a front tyre burst while the truck was travelling at considerable speed, causing the driver to lose control. The passenger seated in the front cabin was thrown from the vehicle, struck his head on a sharp object and died instantly.
Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) said its Night Rescue Team, conducting surveillance on major traffic corridors, promptly arrived at the scene, cordoned off the busy carriageway and evacuated the victim to an ambulance operated by Lagos State Emergency Medical Services (LASEMS). Personnel from the Pedro Police Division provided security, while officers of the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service assisted with the emergency response.
The overturned vehicle, registration number ABJ 37 AC, was carrying assorted consignments, including sealed bags and newly branded event chairs. Because of the volume and nature of the cargo, the truck could not be recovered immediately; authorities transferred the consignments to an empty truck before moving the overturned vehicle.
LASTMA General Manager Olalekan Bakare‑Oki expressed condolences to the victim’s family and described the incident as a painful, avoidable loss. He warned that excessive speeding reduces reaction time, compromises vehicle stability and can turn sudden mechanical failures into fatal crashes. Bakare‑Oki urged heavy‑duty vehicle operators and commercial transporters to conduct regular mechanical inspections, pay close attention to tyre and brake conditions, and adopt responsible driving practices to ensure road safety on Lagos’s densely populated roads.
<small>Source: Vanguard News — read the original story there.</small>
