Lagos Truck Tyre Blowout Kills Elderly Passenger

An elderly man has died in Lagos after he was thrown from a moving truck whose front tyre exploded near the TREM axis of Gbagada, heading toward Oshodi. Adebayo Taofiq, spokesperson for the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, announced the fatality in a statement. According to Taofiq, the fully loaded Mercedes-Benz six-tyre truck, bearing registration number ABJ 37 AC, was moving at considerable speed when the tyre burst, causing the driver to lose control. The elderly passenger, who had been in the front cabin, was ejected during the incident and struck his head on a sharp object, Taofiq said. The statement said: “In the ensuing struggle to stabilise the truck, an elderly male passenger seated in the front cabin was flung out of the vehicle and struck his head against a sharp object. The impact proved fatal, resulting in his instantaneous death.” Taofiq said LASTMA’s Night Rescue Team arrived quickly and secured the scene. The team moved the deceased from the busy carriageway into an ambulance operated by the Lagos State Emergency Medical Services to reduce danger to other road users, he said. Personnel from the Pedro Police Division and the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service also assisted with the emergency response, according to Taofiq. He added that the overturned truck could not be recovered immediately because of the large amount and type of cargo it carried. As a result, plans were made to transfer the assorted consignments into another empty truck before the vehicle was eventually recovered.