An elderly man has lost his life after falling from a moving truck following a tyre burst around the TREM axis of Gbagada, inward Oshodi, Lagos State.
The incident involved a fully loaded Mercedes-Benz six-tyre truck travelling at considerable speed when its front tyre suddenly burst, causing the driver to lose control of the vehicle.
The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) spokesperson, Adebayo Taofiq, disclosed the incident in a statement on Sunday.
According to him, the elderly man, who was seated in the truck’s front cabin, was flung out of the vehicle during the driver’s attempt to regain control. He reportedly struck his head against a sharp object, sustaining fatal injuries.
LASTMA’s Night Rescue Team, which was conducting surveillance along major traffic corridors, promptly arrived at the scene and secured the area.
The deceased was subsequently evacuated from the busy carriageway into an ambulance belonging to the Lagos State Emergency Medical Services to prevent further danger to other road users.
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Personnel from the Pedro Police Division and the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service also assisted in the emergency response.
Taofiq explained that the overturned truck could not be immediately recovered because of the volume and nature of its cargo. Arrangements were therefore made to transfer the goods into another truck before recovery operations could be completed.
Reacting to the incident, LASTMA General Manager, Olalekan Bakare-Oki, described the death as painful and avoidable, warning motorists against excessive speeding.
He explained that speeding reduces drivers’ reaction time, affects vehicle stability and increases the severity of accidents, particularly when unexpected mechanical failures occur.
Bakare-Oki urged heavy-duty vehicle operators and other motorists to observe speed limits, conduct regular vehicle inspections and pay close attention to the condition of their tyres and braking systems.
He also advised drivers to remain calm and maintain proper control of their vehicles whenever sudden mechanical faults occur.
The incident comes amid growing concerns over road crashes involving heavy-duty vehicles, following two separate accidents along the Sagamu-Ikorodu Expressway and Iroko Road in Ogun State, which reportedly claimed three lives and left seven others injured.
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