LASTMA blames speeding as vehicle falls from Otedola bridge

The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority has blamed the accident that occurred after a vehicle fell from the Otedola Bridge along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway on Monday on excessive speeding.

In the incident, the driver of the car, a female, lost control before veering off the bridge.

An eyewitness who identified himself simply as Kunle said the victim sustained an injury to the head, which caused her to bleed.

He said, “I was working in one of the buildings affected by the gas tanker explosion when we heard the sound of the crash. It happened some minutes past 7 am. My colleague and I quickly rushed there and saw a female driver in the vehicle.

“At first, she was unconscious until we started making efforts to remove her from the vehicle. When we pulled her out, she was already bleeding on her forehead, and she also had a cut on her hand.”

Confirming the incident, the spokesperson for the LASTMA, Adebayo Taofiq, said the woman, who was riding a Toyota Camry car with number plate KJA 126 BH, had applied the brake of her vehicle when she saw another vehicle trying to manoeuvre her lane, but the vehicle lost control and plunged off the bridge.

He added that emergency responders, including LASTMA officials, rescued the woman at a nearby hospital.

Taofiq stated, “Preliminary findings indicate that the female motorist, while travelling at an excessive speed, abruptly applied her brakes upon perceiving another vehicle manoeuvring into the service lane ahead of her.

“This sudden deceleration destabilised her vehicle, causing it to veer uncontrollably and ultimately plummet off the bridge—leaving her critically injured.

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“The victim was successfully extricated from the wreckage and conveyed without delay to the Lagos State Accident and Emergency Centre located at the Toll Gate for immediate medical intervention.”

Also speaking, the General Manager of LASTMA, Olalekan Bakare-Oki, stressed the need for motorists to adhere to stipulated speed limits and respect highway regulations.

Bakare-Oki, who spoke through Taofiq, lamented that a significant proportion of road traffic accidents stem from reckless driving, particularly the disregard for established safety protocols by both private and commercial motorists.

“This unfortunate occurrence could have been entirely circumvented had the driver complied with the statutory speed regulations. We therefore implore all road users to exercise greater caution and to uphold the tenets of the Lagos State Transport Sector Reform Law of 2018, in the collective interest of public safety,” Bakare-Oki stated.

An eyewitness who craved anonymity said the few individuals who rescued the victim experienced a delay before conveying her to the hospital.

“We tried to stop vehicles to assist us in taking her to the hospital, but none of them waited. It was a little while later that we saw a tricycle that was used to take her to the hospital. She was also able to provide the contact of her husband who rushed down to the place.”