Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) has confirmed a harrowing lone-vehicle crash yesterday at the Lekki Toll Gate inward Sand-field corridor, involving a Mazda commercial bus bearing KRD 412 XR, which left five passengers with grievous injuries.
  
Findings indicate that the driver of the commercial bus operating at an excessive and unsafe speed experienced a sudden brake failure, which caused the vehicle to violently collide with the toll gate media infrastructure, resulting in injuries to all occupants, including the driver.
  
In a statement by its Director, Public Affairs and Enlightenment Department, Adebayo Taofiq, LASTMA operatives were swiftly deployed to the scene, promptly securing the affected axis and initiating coordinated rescue operations. Two critically injured passengers were immediately transported to a nearby medical facility by public-spirited individuals, while the Lagos State Ambulance Service (LASAMBUS)  evacuated the remaining three victims, including the driver, for urgent medical intervention.
  
To guarantee a secure, orderly and obstruction-free rescue environment, officers of the Rapid Response Squad (RRS) provided security reinforcement throughout the emergency operation, effectively averting secondary incidents and ensuring seamless medical evacuation.
  
General Manager, LASTMA, Olalekan Bakare-Oki, expressed concern over the spate of speed-induced crashes on major arterial routes across the state.
  
He conveyed his heartfelt wishes for the swift and full recovery of all injured passengers, while reiterating the authority’s unwavering resolve to safeguard lives and property on Lagos roadways.
  
Bakare-Oki issued a stern warning to motorists, particularly operators of commercial vehicles, against excessive speeding and the deployment of mechanically deficient vehicles on public roads.
  
He stressed the imperative for drivers to remain perpetually safety-conscious, moderate their speed and anticipate unforeseen mechanical failures, noting that prudence, vigilance and strict adherence to traffic regulations constitute the most reliable bulwark against preventable tragedies.
  
“LASTMA, once again, calls on all road users to embrace responsible driving culture, prioritise routine vehicle maintenance, and cooperate fully with traffic regulatory authorities in the collective quest to entrench safer, more orderly and accident-free roadways across Lagos,” he added.