LAWMA truck crushes LAWMA official

An official of the Lagos Waste Management Authority was on Tuesday sliced into two after the LAWMA truck in which he was riding along with three other officials skidded and overturned.
According to eyewitnesses, the accident, which occurred at the Car Wash Bus Stop area of Egbeda/Idimu Road, Lagos State, was caused by commercial bus drivers who stopped to pick passengers along the road and at illegal bus stops.
They shun the legal bus stop, which is the one for the BRT, created by the state government.
The truck, operated by a PSP, was said to have overturned as its driver tried to avoid ramming into the two commercial buses filled with passengers.
The commercial bus drivers were said to be struggling to overtake each other at the bus stop to pick passengers.
The accident, which occurred at about 7am, caused the PSP truck to overturn, killing one of the LAWMA officials riding on it instantly.
Three of them escaped unhurt.
As soon as the truck overturned, the deceased, identified as Idowu, was caught under, with part of his body, from his chest, cut into half and buried under the truck.
The accident caused a gridlock, which spilled to Iyano-Ipaja, Isheri, Igando and Iyana-Oba, among other axis.
Commuters were forced to step down from commercial buses and took to trekking to their various destinations.
Officials of the Federal Road Safety Corps, policemen and those of LAWMA were at the scene.
Some of the LAWMA officials were seen crying.
Two cranes were later brought to move the truck off the deceased’s body.
A LAWMA official, Aminu Odukoya, who is a field supervisor, said Idowu was one of the officials collecting refuse from residents whenever the PSP truck stopped at refuse points.
Odukoya said she was pained that nobody was able to get the plate numbers of the buses that caused the accident.
Another LAWMA official, Olakunle Agenjo, said: “This Car Wash is not a bus stop.
“This accident happened at about 7am.
“The PSP truck has stopped to pick refuse and was about to drive away.
“A commercial bus came and parked in its front, picking passengers.
“Another one parked at the back of the truck, also picking passengers.
“Suddenly, as the truck was about to continue on its way, the commercial bus at the back, drove fast and attempted to overtake the one at the front.
“But the one at the front would not allow the driver.
“In the confusion, the truck would have run into them, but it would have led to the death of so many people, which was why the driver attempted to steer the truck over the culvert, but the truck overturned and our man turned with it and he was killed.”