A driver allegedly distracted by a mobile phone while driving narrowly escaped death after his vehicle plunged into a bush canal at the Mowo axis inward Badagry along the Lagos-Badagry Expressway.

The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) disclosed that the lone accident involved a Lexus Jeep with registration number JJJ 19 KK.

According to preliminary findings, the driver reportedly lost concentration while using a mobile phone behind the wheel, causing him to lose control of the vehicle before it veered off the expressway and somersaulted into the canal.

LASTMA said excessive speeding further worsened the situation and contributed to the severity of the crash.

Officials of LASTMA, in collaboration with personnel of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), immediately launched a rescue operation at the scene.

The driver reportedly sustained severe internal injuries, while a female passenger suffered a fracture to her left arm.

The victims were rescued from the wreckage and taken to Ola-Oki Medical Facility in Ibereko, inward Badagry, for urgent medical treatment.

LASTMA operatives also carried out evacuation and recovery operations to remove the damaged vehicle from the accident scene and prevent possible secondary accidents along the busy corridor.

The agency noted that despite the incident, traffic flow along the axis remained largely uninterrupted due to effective traffic management and prompt deployment of officers to the area.

Reacting to the accident, the General Manager of LASTMA, Olalekan Bakare-Oki, reiterated the agency’s warning against speeding, reckless driving and the use of mobile phones while driving.

“It is profoundly disheartening that despite sustained public enlightenment campaigns and continuous road safety advocacy by the Government, some motorists still engage in the dangerous practice of operating mobile phones while driving, thereby endangering not only their own lives but also those of other road users,” he said.

Bakare-Oki urged motorists to remain focused while driving, avoid distractions, obey speed limits and comply with all road safety regulations to prevent avoidable crashes and loss of lives.

(The Guardian)