A major tragedy was narrowly avoided on Saturday after a fully loaded truck skidded off the Pen Cinema Bridge in the Agege area of Lagos, crashing into two stationary commercial buses parked beneath the bridge.
The incident was confirmed by the spokesperson of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), Mr. Adebayo Taofiq, who said the truck lost control while navigating the bridge and veered off, leading to the fall.
The truck driver sustained severe fractures to both hands but was quickly rescued by LASTMA officials who arrived promptly at the scene. After the rescue, the injured driver was handed over to officers of the Elere Police Division and later taken to the General Hospital, Ile-Epo, for urgent medical attention.
According to Adebayo, LASTMA personnel moved swiftly to cordon off the area, redirect traffic, and prevent further incidents. The Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) Response Unit later cleared the wreckage, allowing normal traffic to resume along the busy Old Abeokuta Road axis.
“Preliminary inquiries suggest that the truck driver, who suffered grievous fractures to both hands, lost control of the vehicle while navigating the Pen Cinema Bridge. Consequently, the truck plunged from the bridge, landing upon the two commercial buses stationed beneath,” Adebayo stated.
Expressing concern over the accident, the General Manager of LASTMA, Mr. Olalekan Bakare-Oki, urged motorists, especially truck drivers, to exercise extreme caution on the roads, particularly during the rainy season, which increases driving hazards.
Bakare-Oki stressed the importance of compliance with road safety regulations and the proper use of speed-limiting devices to reduce the risk of such incidents. He also extended wishes for the speedy recovery of the injured driver.
