Driver, Eight Passengers Die In Badagry Auto Crash
By Felix Kuyinu
At least 10 persons have died following an auto crash resulting from a collision between a bus and truck in Badagry.
The incident which happened on Sunday morning was said to have in involved a DAF truck and an 18 seater bus in which the driver, bus conductor and eight passengers lost their lives.
The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, LASTMA, disclosed that the bus with plate number KJA811YF collided with the truck marked T14636LA, causing the demise of the individuals which caused profound mourning and collective grief at the scene.
LASTMA Director, Public Affairs and Enlightenment, Taofiq Adebayo, said that an intervention of officials of the Federal Road Safety Commission, FRSC, and the Police at Morogbo Division alongside soldiers from 244 Battalion of the Nigerian Army, Ibereko Barracks, led to the rescue of other eight persons involved in the incident.
“The tragic accident instantly claimed the lives of eight passengers, including the driver of the bus and his conductor, casting a somber pall over the Badagry axis and leaving the community in profound mourning and collective grief,” stated Adebayo.
“A timely intervention led to the successful extraction of eight surviving passengers, all of whom sustained varying degrees of trauma.
“These casualties were immediately evacuated to the General Hospital in Badagry via an FRSC vehicle for critical medical attention.
“Preliminary investigation revealed that the driver of the commercial bus lost control while navigating at a perilously high speed, leading to a catastrophic collision with a DAF truck. The resultant impact was described as cataclysmic, leaving little chance for evasion or survival for several occupants of the bus,” he added.
The General Manager of LASTMA, Olalekan Bakare-Oki, visited the scene, describing the incident as a painful reminder of the fragility of life.
Bakare-Oki said, “This is to urge road users to embrace caution while driving. No journey should end in such tragedy.
“Commercial bus drivers and heavy-duty vehicle operators should shun excessive speeding, adhere strictly to safety protocols, and ensure regular maintenance of their vehicles to avoid unnecessary fatalities.
“This regrettable loss of lives could have been avoided if the basic tenets of defensive driving and vehicular safety had been upheld. Speed remains a silent killer on our highways.
“We are no longer merely controlling traffic; we are managing emergencies, mitigating disasters, and saving lives. This is the ethos of contemporary traffic administration,” he said.
