Passenger dies after jumping off moving bus in Lagos

Scene of the incident. CREDIT: LASTMA

A passenger has died after jumping from a moving commercial bus that subsequently crashed into a median pole at Ogunlana Junction, inward Ojuelegba, in the Surulere area of Lagos.

The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority disclosed this in a statement issued on Sunday by its Director, Public Affairs and Enlightenment Department, Adebayo Taofiq.

The incident involved a commercial Volkswagen bus with registration number LND 130 XR, which reportedly careered into a median pole at Ogunlana Junction, inward Ojuelegba, by the Fallout area of Surulere.

Preliminary security reports indicated that the driver of the bus was allegedly under the influence of alcohol and had reportedly been driving recklessly shortly before the crash.

“Motorists approaching from the rear were said to have exercised considerable caution in their attempts to avoid a collision with the erratically driven vehicle.

“In the ensuing pandemonium, a male passenger, apparently attempting to escape from the uncontrolled moving vehicle, jumped out of the bus and sustained grievous injuries upon impact with the ground.

“Tragically, the passenger subsequently succumbed to the injuries sustained in the incident. LASTMA personnel conducting routine traffic surveillance and monitoring along the Ojuelegba axis swiftly mobilised to the scene upon sighting the crash,” the statement read.

LASTMA personnel conducting routine traffic surveillance and monitoring along the Ojuelegba axis swiftly mobilised to the scene after sighting the crash.

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The officers immediately instituted emergency traffic management measures, secured the accident scene and removed the deceased passenger and the severely damaged vehicle from the carriageway, thereby averting the threat of a possible secondary collision.

Security personnel from the Area C Police Division, Ojuelegba, provided security cover at the scene, while officials of the State Emergency Management Agency evacuated the remains of the deceased passenger.

LASTMA said the incident was another reminder of the potentially irreversible consequences of driving under the influence of alcohol, reckless motoring and operating mechanically defective vehicles on public roads.

The General Manager of LASTMA, Olalekan Bakare-Oki, admonished commercial and private motorists to undertake comprehensive mechanical inspections of their vehicles before embarking on every journey, with particular attention to braking systems, tyres, steering mechanisms and other critical safety components.

While commiserating with the bereaved family of the deceased passenger, Bakare-Oki reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to prompt incident response, effective traffic management, expeditious accident-scene clearance and the preservation of lives on Lagos roads.

He urged members of the motoring public to promptly report traffic-related incidents, accidents, vehicular breakdowns and other obstructions to the agency through the LASTMA toll-free short code, 3367.