Refuse truck falls off Lagos bridge, kills tricycle rider

A tragic incident occurred in the Surulere area of Lagos State where a tricycle rider lost his life after being crushed by the compactor of a refuse truck falling from a bridge. The incident, which took place on Tuesday evening, unfolded as the truck, belonging to the Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA), was traversing the Shitta bridge in the community, experiencing a mechanical fault while in motion.

Reports indicate that the truck lost control, colliding with a Kia Salon car on the bridge. The force of the impact led to the compactor of the truck detaching and plummeting onto a mini-commercial bus and the tricycle below. Although passengers numbering about seven in the bus survived the crash, the tricycle rider tragically succumbed to his injuries on the spot.

Upon receiving a distress call, the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) swiftly responded, with its team arriving at the scene around 10:20 pm. Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, the agency's Permanent Secretary, confirmed the incident in a statement issued on Wednesday. He detailed, “It was observed that a LAWMA PSP compactor truck was involved in a multiple accident when it reportedly suffered mechanical error (disengaged propeller), lost control and crashed into a Kia Rio Saloon car, registration number unknown, on Shitta bridge."

Further elaborating, Oke-Osanyintolu stated, “The compactor thereafter crashed down the side of the bridge onto a seven-passenger mini-bus (korope) and a tricycle (Keke Marwa), killing the tricyclist instantly on impact." He noted that the deceased's remains were recovered from the scene and conveyed to the Infectious Disease Hospital in Yaba for further processing.

All three vehicles involved in the accidents were subsequently relocated to the Iponri Police Station, with the LAWMA PSP compactor truck transported to the agency’s yard at Ijora using heavy-duty equipment. Notable responders at the scene included the LASEMA Response Team, LASAMBUS, LASTMA, the Divisional Police Officer of Surulere Divisional Office, and officers from the Iponri Police Station.