According to The Punch, tragedy
struck on Monday on the Funsho Williams Avenue bypass, Surulere, Lagos
State, after a yet-to-be identified soldier was crushed to death by a
LAGBUS, one of the buses in the state mass transit scheme. Commuters
plying the bridge could not help but watch in horror as the mangled body
of the soldier was cut into two by the bus.
Eyewitnesses said the victim,
who was riding a motorcycle, was also carrying a woman on the back seat.
The passenger was reportedly flung away by the impact of the collision.
She was said to be in a critical condition and had been taken to an
unknown hospital in the state. It was further learnt that the bus
driver, after seeing the extent of the damage, removed his uniform and
fled the scene.
The vehicle passengers also took
to their heels to avoid reprisals by soldiers. A mechanic, Taiwo
Akindele, said the accident was caused by the bad state of the bridge.
He said, “The accident happened around 7.30am. It involved a red LAGBUS
with number ‘30’ written on the body. It did not have a number plate.
“The driver was on top speed, not knowing the bridge was dilapidated. As
he approached a bad spot on the bridge, the vehicle began to swerve
dangerously towards the left of the bridge. “But the driver turned the
steering and the soldier, who was on a motorcycle, was pinned to the
railing of the bridge.
As the bus driver strived to
control it, the bus dragged the soldier and cut through his bowel. He
died on the spot.” Akindele added that other soldiers arrived at the
scene around 10am, while their presence caused panic in the area.
A Lagos State ambulance, which
came to evacuate the deceased, was reportedly chased away by the angry
soldiers. A source said, “The whole place was filled with heavy military
presence. Everybody was afraid. The soldiers later called in their own
vehicle to carry the corpse.
They were armed and looked menacing.”
He said the accident also drew the presence of members of the Federal Road Safety Corps and policemen.
A trader under the bridge told
our correspondent that there had been four of such accidents within a
space of three months due to the condition of the bridge.
Our correspondent observed that
two connecting slabs of the bridge were almost pulling apart which
usually forced drivers to move slowly when they got to the point. Around
2pm, another tragedy was averted when a petrol tanker belonging to AP,
and marked XA 273 AUG, broke down after the driver’s compartment caved
in.
The driver had applied the brake
when the incident happened. He was however able to escape without much
injuries. A resident who pleaded anonymity said, “This is not the first
time we will be witnessing accidents here. We all are afraid for our
lives.” Another resident, Biodun Falola pleaded with the government to
do something about the bridge which had become a death trap.
The Managing Director of LAGBUS,
Mr. Babatunde Disu, confirmed the incident to our correspondent on the
telephone, adding that the driver had been handed over to the police. He
said, “He only ran away as a safety precaution. We have since handed
him over to the police for further investigations.” The Police Public
Relations Officer, Ngozi Braide, when contacted, said she was in a
meeting and would get back to our correspondent.
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