Tanker driver arrested after fatal hit-and-run kills delivery rider in Lagos

By Imisioluwa Afunmiso

A tanker driver who allegedly fled after knocking down and killing a commercial delivery motorcycle rider on Kodesho Road in Ikeja has been arrested by officials of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA).

The fatal crash occurred opposite a Filling Station along Kodesho Road, inward Awolowo Way/Oba Akran in the Maryland-Ikeja axis of Lagos.

According to a statement issued on Wednesday by the Director of Public Affairs and Enlightenment Department of LASTMA, Adebayo Taofiq, the fully loaded tanker, with registration number T-19089LA and conveying 33-litre groundnut oil, struck and fatally crushed the delivery rider, who died instantly.

The statement disclosed that the tanker driver allegedly fled the scene without stopping to assist the victim or report the incident to the appropriate authorities.

It stated that upon receiving a distress alert, LASTMA officials immediately pursued the vehicle, intercepted it and arrested the driver before he could escape.

The agency said the suspect and the tanker had been handed over to the State Traffic Department (STD), Area ‘F’ Police Command, Ikeja, for investigation and possible prosecution.

While the arrest was ongoing, LASTMA officials secured the accident scene, managed traffic and coordinated emergency response operations to ensure free flow of vehicles along the road.

The agency added that fellow delivery riders at the scene contacted the deceased’s family and expressed their condolences over the loss of their colleague.

Reacting to the incident, the General Manager of LASTMA, Mr Olalekan Bakare-Oki, described the crash as tragic and avoidable, extending his sympathies to the victim’s family.

He urged drivers of tankers, articulated vehicles and other heavy-duty trucks to obey traffic regulations, drive responsibly and avoid reckless behaviour on the roads.

Bakare-Oki warned that dangerous driving, excessive speeding and fleeing the scene of an accident are serious offences that endanger lives and would be met with the full weight of the law.

He also reaffirmed LASTMA’s commitment to working with the Nigeria Police Force and other emergency agencies to improve road safety, ensure prompt response to accidents and maintain smooth traffic flow across Lagos.

The agency urged residents to report road crashes and traffic emergencies through its toll-free emergency line, 3367, for immediate intervention.