Dispatch Rider Feared Dead After Hit-and-Run Crash On Lagos-Ibadan Expressway

A dispatch rider has reportedly lost his life after being knocked down by a hit-and-run driver allegedly driving against traffic on the Magboro Bridge section of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.

Global Mirror News gathered that the tragic incident occurred around 5pm on Tuesday when the unidentified motorist rammed into the rider and fled the scene immediately after the collision.

Eyewitnesses said sympathisers and residents quickly moved the victim’s body from the middle of the road to the roadside and covered it with a cloth to prevent further distress to motorists and passersby.

When correspondents visited the scene, several dispatch riders were seen gathered around the area, lamenting what they described as poor enforcement of traffic regulations and the growing recklessness of motorists on the busy expressway.

An eyewitness identified simply as Michael disclosed to Global Mirror News that that two residents helped remove the body from the road shortly after the accident.

“When I got there, two people had already carried the body away from the road. I asked a vulcaniser nearby what happened, and he explained that immediately after hitting the rider, the driver sped off,” he said.

Michael added that attempts to chase the fleeing vehicle failed because there was no available means of transportation at the time.

“He made it clear that it was a car that hit the rider, not a trailer,” he added.

Another dispatch rider at the scene, who pleaded anonymity, condemned the constant violation of traffic rules on the expressway and criticised the delay in emergency response after accidents.

A Police Officer present at the scene also confirmed that the victim’s family had been contacted through the deceased’s mobile phone.

“We have contacted his family through his phone. One of the dispatch riders called them, and they said they were on their way,” the officer said.

He added that the body had already been removed from the expressway before security operatives arrived at the scene.

“As soon as the family arrives, we will move the body to the mortuary,” he added.

As of the time of filing this report, officials of the Federal Road Safety Corps and the Nigeria Police Force had yet to release an official statement regarding the incident.