A delivery motorcyclist sustained a serious limb fracture in the early hours of Monday following a one way traffic accident on the Odo Iya Alaro Bridge inward Maryland along the Ikorodu Road corridor in Lagos.
The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority said preliminary investigations showed that the accident occurred amid heavy traffic caused by the aftermath of a truck fire at the same location earlier in the morning.
Officials said the fire incident resulted in a long stretch of slow moving traffic along the Ikorodu Road axis, creating a tense and congested driving environment.
LASTMA said that during the gridlock, a private ambulance with registration number BED 508 EA conveying a pregnant woman who was on oxygen support drove against traffic at high speed in an attempt to bypass the congestion.
The reckless maneuver led to a head on collision with the delivery motorcyclist who was riding legitimately within his designated lane.
The impact left the motorcyclist with a severe fracture to his right knee and other injuries that caused him intense pain at the scene.
LASTMA officers immediately alerted the Lagos State Ambulance Service which deployed two ambulances to the scene for emergency rescue.
The pregnant woman, along with her life support equipment, was safely transferred into one LASAMBUS ambulance, while the injured motorcyclist was conveyed in another ambulance to the nearest medical facility for urgent treatment.
The driver of the private ambulance was apprehended at the scene by LASTMA officials and handed over to operatives of the Ogudu Police Division for further investigation and possible prosecution.
LASTMA officers also ensured the damaged ambulance and the delivery motorcycle were safely removed from the road and taken to the Ogudu Police Division, while policemen provided security support during the rescue operation.
The General Manager of LASTMA, Mr Olalekan Bakare Oki, restated the agency resolve to maintain zero tolerance for dangerous traffic violations, especially the act of driving against traffic.
He warned all motorists, including emergency service drivers, to observe traffic rules strictly, noting that reckless behaviour on the road could endanger both their lives and those of other road users.