A lone road traffic accident involving a fully loaded commercial bus left four passengers seriously injured over the weekend in the Alausa area of Ikeja, Lagos.

According to the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), the incident occurred when the bus, a painted commercial vehicle bearing registration number KTU 69 YJ, veered off course and rammed violently into a streetlight pole.

In a statement signed by its Director of Public Affairs and Enlightenment, Adebayo Taofiq, LASTMA said preliminary investigations revealed that the driver was heavily intoxicated at the time of the crash and lost control of the vehicle.

The impact of the collision caused panic in the area and led to significant injuries, particularly to a couple seated in the middle row of the bus.

Swift intervention by LASTMA officers stationed nearby ensured that the injured passengers were promptly rescued from the mangled vehicle.

Emergency first aid was administered on-site before the victims — comprising the couple and two other passengers, a man and a woman — were handed over to the Lagos State Ambulance Service (LASAMBUS).

They were subsequently transported to the Trauma and Emergency Centre at the Toll Gate for further medical treatment.

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Other passengers on board sustained only minor injuries and did not require hospitalisation.

During the rescue operation, officers from the Alausa Division of the Nigeria Police Force cordoned off the area to secure the scene and facilitate the smooth evacuation of victims.

Reacting to the incident, the General Manager of LASTMA, Olalekan Bakare-Oki, strongly condemned the reckless behaviour of driving under the influence of alcohol.

He reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to strengthening advocacy and surveillance across Lagos, noting that the Monitoring and Surveillance Unit is actively engaging commercial drivers in motor parks under its signature campaign – ‘Don’t Drink and Drive’.