Truck Plunges Off Oshodi Bridge, Wreaks Havoc, As LASTMA Rescues Injured

By Akinwale Kasali

The swift intervention of officials of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, LASTMA, averted what could have been a severe tragedy as a fully loaded truck plunged off the Oshodi Bridge on Saturday after suffering a brake failure.

The accident saw passersby and traders scamper for safety, leaving one person severely injured.

According to eyewitnesses, the six-tyre truck, marked AKD 135 YK, was reportedly conveying tonner printing materials when it lost control while descending from Oshodi-Oke inward Mile 2. The vehicle veered off the bridge and crashed into the terminal ditch below.

In a statement by Adebayo Taofiq, Director, Public Affairs and Enlightenment Department, LASTMA officials arrived at the scene within minutes, rescuing a male victim who sustained serious injuries. The victim was quickly taken to a nearby hospital for emergency treatment.

The driver of the truck was later apprehended and handed over to officers from the Makinde Police Station, Oshodi, for further investigation.

To prevent further accidents, LASTMA operatives cordoned off the area, redirected traffic, and supervised the removal of the wreckage. Traffic flow was restored shortly after the rescue operations.

Commending his officers for their swift and professional response, Bakare Oki, General Manager of LASTMA, praised their “gallantry and adherence to safety protocols,” noting that the agency remains fully alert to its mandate of safeguarding lives and property on Lagos roads.

He said the agency’s ongoing 24-hour traffic management operations are designed to ensure seamless vehicular movement, particularly during the ember months when road usage peaks and accident risks increase.

Oki disclosed that heavy-duty recovery trucks and mini vehicles have been strategically deployed across Lagos’s five administrative divisions, supported by more than 2,700 personnel positioned at key traffic corridors for rapid response to emergencies.

He reiterated LASTMA’s commitment to proactive traffic regulation, timely rescue operations, and continuous public enlightenment on vehicle maintenance and traffic discipline.