A tricycle rider, yet to be identified, met a tragic end after being crushed by a refuse truck’s compactor that fell from a bridge in Surulere, Lagos State. The truck, belonging to the Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA), experienced a mechanical fault while traversing the Shitta bridge in the community.
The incident, confirmed by the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) on Wednesday, revealed that the compactor detached from the truck upon impact, tumbling down the side of the bridge onto a mini commercial bus and a tricycle. The tricycle rider lost his life immediately as a result of the accident.
In an official statement, the Permanent Secretary of LASEMA, Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, stated, “The Agency activated the State’s Emergency Response Plans with Emergency Response Teams responding from Onipan, followed with necessary equipment from Cappa Base, the hub of LASEMA heavy-duty equipment in a 5-minute record time, at 2220hrs.”
He further explained, “It was observed that a LAWMA PSP compactor truck was involved in a multiple accident when it reportedly suffered mechanical error (disengaged propeller), lost control and crashed into a Kia Rio Saloon car, registration number unknown, on Shitta bridge.”
The compactor then descended down the bridge, colliding with a seven-passenger mini-bus (Korope) and a tricycle (Keke Marwa), resulting in the instant fatality of the tricycle rider.
LASEMA teams swiftly responded, recovering the deceased’s remains from the scene and transporting them to the Infectious Disease Hospital, IDH, Yaba. The three vehicles involved in the accident were moved to Iponri Police Station, while the LAWMA PSP compactor truck was taken to the LAWMA yard at Ijora with the assistance of LASEMA’s Heavy Duty Equipment (Elephant) at midnight.
The response efforts involved LASEMA Response Team, LASAMBUS, LASTMA, Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Surulere Divisional Office, and Officers of the Nigerian Police Force from Iponri Police Station.
