By Bose Adelaja
CITIZENS COMPASS —Medical personnel at a government hospital are currently battling to save the life of one of the driver working with the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), following an accident which occurred in Lagos on Tuesday.
Recall that two BRT collided yesterday, along the Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway on Tuesday morning.
Many passengers were said to have escaped through the windows of the buses during rescue operation.
The accident occurred at about 7:30 a.m. on the exclusive BRT corridor, in front of Conoil at Valley Estate, inward IleZik.
Citizens Compass had reported that the driver of one of the buses was trapped for hours before he was rescued.
Eyewitnesses’ accounts said the sympathisers had to smash the driver’s side of the bus before he could be rescued and rushed to a nearby government hospital.
However, information at Citizens Compass‘ disposal revealed that doctors in the hospital were battling to save the life of the driver.
It was learnt that the patient may have his leg amputated to allow further medical attention.
The collision occured on Tuesday morning when an empty BRT waa journeying from Oshodi while the second was full packed with passengers and one of them waa trying to avoid a commercial motorcyclist popularly known as Okada rider and the collision occurred in the process.
How it happened
An eye witness, Mr Bewaji Ademola said he was on his way to work when he noticed the accident and disembarked from his vehicle to render assistance to the victims.
He blamed the accident on the Okada rider who wss riding recklessly on a restricted route.
He said the front of one of the buses was damaged beyond repair such that passengers had to escape tjroigh the windows and many of them were injured in the process.
A regular passenger at the busstoo told our correspondent on Wednesday that she did not board the buses yesterday because she did not go to work.
Road users in the axis blamed the government for its lackadaisical towards enforcing the restriction placed on Okada in some parts of the State.
It will be recalled that many passengers of Two BRT buses sustained varying degrees of injuries on Tuesday, October 17, 2023, following the head-on collision of the buses along the Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway on Tuesday morning.
The accident occurred at about 7:30 a.m. on the exclusive BRT corridor, just in front of Conoil at Valley Estate, inward IleZik.
An eye witness who did not disclose his name shared videos of the accident which has been generating comments from members of the public.
A male voice at the background of the video said the accident was fatal as one of the buses was discharging fumes while onlookers at the scene expressed worries. Some of the passengers who were fortunate to be rescued, were seen seated at the road median while some hurriedly escaped from the buses. The background voice said the driver of one of the buses was trapped.
In the video, sympathisers were seen rallying roumd some injured victims before the arrival of emergency agencies.
The eye witness posted, “Fatal accident involving 2 Lagride buses caused by motorcycle rider at Cement bstop opp Valley Estate , the corridor is affected, men on ground managing d situation ,police personnel, Lag state fire n rescue service n Lasema are on ground with our men to savage the situation,injured drivers n 2 passengers v bn taken nearbye hospital..Eky 378 XY ,BRI 105 ..Lagride numbers”
The accident was confirmed by the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), on its X account formerly known as Twitter.
LASTMA said the impact of the incident on traffic was reported to be minimal.
The Authority added that its officers and other concerned authorities, including the Nigerian Police Force, were on ground to manage the situation.
LASTMA on its X account said, “A serious accident involving two high-capacity buses just occurred at the BRT corridor in front of Conoil Valley Estate inward Ile-Zik on the Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway.
*LASTMA LRU, Fire and rescue service, and police are on ground doing the needful
In another related event, many passengers were injured in Dopemu area of Lagos on Tuesday morning when two Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) collided on the BRT corridor.
The cause of the accident could not be ascertained at press time but it was gathered that one of the buses may have lost control and swerved into the oncoming lane.
An eyewitness who pleaded anonymity said the Vally Estate accident was caused by a recalcitrant commercial motorcyclist popularly known as Okada riders. He said, “Fatal accident just occurred at BRT corridor infront of conoil valley Estate caused by okada rider, the casualties have been carried to near by hospital,it involves two BRT with the following reg no BRI 105 andEKY378XY.”
