The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority has arrested a truck driver in connection with the death of a cyclist in a road crash beneath the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital bridge in the Ikeja area of the state.
It was gathered on Monday that the accident occurred along the traffic light corridor inward Airport Road.
A statement by the agency’s spokesperson, Adebayo Taofiq, disclosed that the cyclist and a DAF articulated truck were approaching the roundabout from the Maryland axis when the incident happened.
Preliminary investigations revealed that the cyclist attempted to manoeuvre around the roundabout alongside the heavy-duty vehicle but failed to keep a safe distance, leading to the fatal collision.
Taofiq said LASTMA officials on duty at the location promptly intervened and apprehended the truck driver, who reportedly tried to escape after the crash.
“The cyclist could not maintain a safe clearance from the moving truck, which resulted in a fatal accident.
Our officers swiftly arrested the driver when he attempted to flee,” he stated.
He added that the suspect had been handed over to personnel of the Ikeja Police Division for further investigation and possible prosecution.
Reacting, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Transportation, Sola Giwa, expressed grief over the incident and condoled with the family of the deceased.
He advised cyclists and commercial motorcyclists to exercise caution and refrain from using highways, expressways and other high-risk routes.
Giwa noted that the state government had intensified sensitisation efforts to educate cyclists and other vulnerable road users on limiting their movement to inner roads away from major highways and dangerous corridors.
He said the directive also covered skateboarders and other non-motorised road users.
LASTMA reaffirmed the state government’s commitment to enforcing traffic laws and urged motorists, cyclists and pedestrians to comply with road safety regulations to avert preventable crashes.