The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) says a four-year-old boy, his mother and 11 others have survived a lone grievous road traffic accident along Coaster Road, Ajah.
The General Manager of LASTMA, Mr Olalekan Bakare-Oki, said this in a statement signed by the Director, Public Affairs and Enlightenment, Mr Taofig Adebayo, on Wednesday in Lagos.
Bakare-Oki said the lone road accident along Coaster Road, opposite Lafiaji, involved a fully loaded Mazda commercial bus with registration number AKD 509 XL.
According to him, the vehicle overturned with violent force, culminating in a harrowing crash of considerable magnitude.
“In circumstances that can only be described as divinely fortuitous, a four-year-old boy and twelve other passengers including his mother survived what might have culminated in multiple fatalities.
“The vehicle somersaulted and rested on its side, entrapping passengers amid the twisted wreckage and leaving them traumatised.
“The ferocity of the impact reverberated across the corridor, attracting immediate attention from bystanders and emergency responders,” he said.
He noted that LASTMA personnel promptly evacuated the injured from the wreckage and coordinated urgent medical attention.
He added that the four-year-old child, his mother and two additional casualties were conveyed to the Mother & Child Hospital at Abraham Adesanya along Ogombo Road for treatment.
“Other injured passengers were taken to proximate healthcare facilities by good samaritans who rendered invaluable assistance,” he said.
He noted that while the cause of the accident could not be ascertained, the matter had been transferred to the Police Division at Abraham Adesanya for comprehensive inquiry.
Bakare-Oki admonished motorists, particularly operators of commercial vehicles, against reckless driving.
He emphasised that no journey, irrespective of urgency, warranted the loss of human life, as adherence to statutory speed limits and traffic regulations was not merely a legal requirement but a moral imperative.
“LASTMA once again implores all motorists to exercise vigilance, uphold vehicular discipline and accord primacy to the sanctity of human life at all times,” he said.
