A teenage boy has been hospitalised after he was knocked down by a hit-and-run driver while crossing the Onipanu Bus Rapid Transit corridor towards Fadeyi in Lagos State on Wednesday.
The teenager sustained injuries to his head and legs in the incident, according to the Permanent Secretary of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, Dr Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu.
Oke-Osanyintolu said the incident occurred at about 4:30pm, adding that LASEMA’s Cobra Team reached the scene two minutes later and found the injured teenager requiring urgent medical attention.
He said the team provided immediate assistance before transporting the victim to the Trauma Centre for further treatment.
He stated, “In the incident recorded at 4:30 pm along the Onipanu BRT corridor inward Fadeyi, the Cobra Team responded within two minutes, arriving at 4:32 pm to find a teenage boy who had been hit by a vehicle while crossing the expressway and was in urgent need of medical attention, having sustained head and leg injuries in a hit-and-run.
“Upholding the people-centric governance philosophy of the administration, the team provided immediate assistance and ensured the swift transportation of the victim to the Trauma Centre for definitive medical care.”
The permanent secretary urged motorists to avoid reckless driving and speeding, obey traffic regulations and exercise caution on the roads.
He also advised pedestrians to use pedestrian bridges and designated crossing points when crossing busy roads.
Earlier on Wednesday, the Cobra Team responded to another crash involving a truck and a Toyota Camry opposite the National Orthopaedic Hospital, Onipanu, towards Fadeyi.
The crash occurred at about 5:10am and involved a HOWO truck with registration number T-36016LA and a black Toyota Camry marked FST-970KS.
According to Oke-Osanyintolu, preliminary findings linked the crash to reckless driving and speeding by the truck driver.
He said the emergency team worked with the police and officials of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority to divert traffic and prevent secondary crashes while recovery operations were conducted.
LASEMA’s light tow truck moved the Camry to the Onipanu Police Station, while the truck was driven to the station.
Oke-Osanyintolu said no lives were lost in the early-morning crash, adding that the affected section of the road was subsequently cleared and reopened to traffic.
He commended the Cobra Team, police and LASTMA officials for their swift response and cooperation in handling both incidents.
The permanent secretary reiterated the state government’s commitment to protecting lives and property while improving emergency response operations across Lagos.
The PUNCH Metro had earlier reported that a female police inspector, Mercy Bassey, died after she was reportedly hit by a hit-and-run driver while carrying out route-lining duties ahead of President Bola Tinubu’s arrival in Lagos.
A security source, who requested anonymity, told the publication that Bassey was hit by a black Highlander SUV while crossing the Third Mainland Bridge at the Adekunle intersection towards Lagos Island.