A man was rescued alive after a container truck crushed his minivan at Idi-Iroko, Lagos.
LASTMA responded swiftly, using rescue tools to extract the victim before handing him to medics.
A man was miraculously rescued in the early hours of Saturday after being trapped inside a minivan crushed by a container-laden truck at the Idi-Iroko area, inbound Maryland, along the Ikorodu Road axis of Lagos State.
The accident reportedly occurred around 1:30 a.m. and involved a white Toyota Sienna minivan with registration number LSR 267 GZ and a fully-loaded 40-foot Mack truck.
According to the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), the truck, said to have been travelling at high speed, experienced a brake failure which caused the container it was carrying to detach and fall directly onto the minivan.
The spokesperson for LASTMA, Adebayo Taofiq, confirmed that the agency’s midnight surveillance and emergency response team acted promptly upon receiving distress calls. He said the officers used specialized rescue equipment to carefully extract the lone occupant, a man, who was pinned inside the crushed vehicle.
“Despite the intensity of the situation, our team carried out a precise and coordinated operation. The trapped occupant was successfully rescued and handed over to LASAMBUS medical responders for urgent attention,” Taofiq stated.
The driver of the truck reportedly fled the scene immediately after the incident, possibly fearing mob attack or legal consequences.
The badly damaged Sienna was later removed to the Anthony Police Station for documentation, while the truck and its dislodged container were impounded and taken to LASTMA’s headquarters for investigation.
LASTMA General Manager, Mr. Olalekan Bakare-Oki, praised the professionalism and dedication of the rescue team, noting that the entire operation lasted from 1:00 a.m. to 4:00 a.m., during which officers not only handled the rescue but also restored normal traffic flow on the busy corridor.
“This unfortunate incident once again underscores the dangers associated with mechanical negligence, speeding, and reckless driving, particularly by heavy-duty vehicles. We urge all truck drivers and logistics operators to prioritize routine maintenance and comply strictly with traffic safety regulations to prevent similar tragedies,” Bakare-Oki warned.
He added that the agency remains committed to rapid emergency response and the safety of all road users across Lagos State.
