Operatives of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) have arrested the driver of an empty Mercedes-Benz truck involved in a fatal accident that claimed one life over the weekend.

In a statement yesterday, the Director of Public Affairs and Enlightenment Department of LASTMA, Adebayo Taofiq, said the truck, with registration number KRD 466 XJ, suffered a mechanical brake failure while in motion, killing a pedestrian along Simpson Street, inward Ikoyi, on Osborne Expressway by the traffic light junction.

He explained that in a frantic effort to avoid colliding with vehicles ahead, the driver lost control and rammed into a pedestrian walking along the roadside, instantly killing the victim.

Taofiq said: “LASTMA officers, in a swift response, deployed an emergency operation, professionally securing the accident scene to forestall further mishaps and ensure the seamless flow of vehicular movement within the axis.

“The driver of the ill-fated truck was swiftly apprehended by LASTMA personnel and subsequently handed over to security operatives from the Dolphin Estate and Ikoyi Police Divisions for further interrogation and necessary legal procedures.”

He added that the remains of the deceased were evacuated from the scene by police officers and conveyed to a mortuary in Ebute-Metta pending formal identification by the victim’s family.

The statement also quoted the General Manager of LASTMA, Olalekan Bakare-Oki, as expressing deep sorrow and extending heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family, describing the incident as both tragic and preventable.