By CHIAZO OGBOLU

The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) says a female Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) sweeper lost her life while on duty along Meiran Road, inward Iyana Ekoro axis of Lagos.

The General Manager of LASTMA, Mr Olalekan Bakare-Oki, said this in a statement on Saturday in Lagos.

He said that preliminary security findings indicated that the fatal occurrence involved a blue Ford commercial bus laden with bottled /can beverages, which was recklessly reversed on the expressway.

“In the course of this grossly negligent manoeuvre, the vehicle forcefully rammed into the unsuspecting LAWMA sweeper who was carrying out routine roadside cleaning.

“The severe impact, particularly to the head region, proved instantly fatal,” he said.

The general manager said that LASTMA officers on active traffic surveillance duties around the Meiran axis swiftly mobilised to the scene upon receipt of the distress report.

He said that the driver absconded from the crash site in a desperate attempt to evade accountability, but was pursued and brought back with his vehicle to the scene of the incident.

“The apprehended driver and the implicated vehicle were subsequently handed over to security men from the Meiran Police Division for comprehensive investigation and prosecution in accordance with extant laws.

“The timely intervention of security personnel equally averted a potential breach of public peace, as the suspect was on the verge of being subjected to mob action by enraged members of the public,” he said.

The LASTMA boss said that the remains of the deceased was evacuated from the scene by LAWMA officials for further necessary procedures.

Bakare-Oki expressed deep anguish over the tragic and avoidable loss of an innocent life, describing the occurrence as both distressing and preventable.

He condemned the act of reversing on an expressway, stressing that it constituted a serious traffic offence and a blatant contravention of the Lagos State Transport Sector Reform Law, 2018.

He cautioned motorists against engaging in reckless, unlawful driving practices which continually result in needless fatalities and public sorrow. (NAN)