(LASTMA at the scene. Photo Credit: TheNewsGuru)
An elderly man died on Sunday after he was thrown from a moving truck in Gbagada, Lagos State.
The front tyre of the six wheel Mercedes Benz truck burst near the TREM axis, inward Oshodi, and the driver lost control.
According to the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, the truck was moving fast and fully loaded when the tyre went.
The elderly man was sitting in the front cabin.
As the driver struggled to steer the truck back under control, the man was thrown out and hit his head on something sharp.
He died on the spot.
Officers from the authority’s Night Rescue Team reached the scene quickly, blocked off the area, and moved the body into an ambulance to keep other road users safe.
Police from Pedro Division and the Lagos Fire and Rescue Service also helped with the response.
The truck overturned and was too heavy to lift right away, so its cargo was moved into another truck before it could be recovered.
The authority’s General Manager, Olalekan Bakare Oki, offered condolences to the family and called the death painful and avoidable.
He said speeding made the crash worse and urged truck drivers and other motorists to drive carefully, check their vehicles regularly, and pay close attention to their tyres and brakes.
He also advised drivers to stay calm and keep control when a vehicle suddenly develops a fault.
