A truck driver has been arrested for allegedly crushing a pedestrian to death after the vehicle, on high speed, developed a brake failure in Ikoyi, Lagos State.

The director of public affairs and enlightenment for the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, Adebayo Taofiq, disclosed this in a statement on Sunday.

Mr Adebayo said operatives of the agency, “over the weekend, apprehended the driver of an empty Mercedes-Benz truck with registration number KRD 466 XJ, following a ghastly road traffic accident that tragically claimed the life of an unsuspecting pedestrian after the vehicle suffered a mechanical brake failure while in motion at high speed.”

“The fatal incident occurred along Simpson Street, inward Ikoyi, on Osborne Expressway by the Traffic Light Junction, when the truck, reportedly travelling at an excessive velocity, experienced a sudden brake malfunction. 

“In a frantic effort to avert a collision with vehicles ahead, the driver lost control of the vehicle and, in the ensuing chaos, rammed into a pedestrian walking along the roadside, instantly killing the victim.”

He said the agency’s officers swiftly deployed an immediate emergency response to secure the accident scene to forestall further mishaps and ensure free flow of vehicular movement within the axis.

Stating that the driver is now in the custody of the Dolphin Estate and Ikoyi Police Divisions for further interrogation and necessary legal procedures, Mr Adebayo said the deceased has been deposited at a mortuary in Ebute Metta for identification by family members.

LASTMA’s general manager, Olalekan Bakare-Oki, while extending his condolences to the bereaved family, stressed the need for routine vehicular inspection and maintenance, particularly for heavy-duty vehicles and articulated trucks, with emphasis on the braking system, before embarking on any journey to avoid road traffic fatalities.