Air of mourning pervaded Atunrase Estate, Gbagada, Lagos State, on Thursday following the death of a fresh graduate.
PUNCH report that the victim, identified as Adelowo, was crushed to death around 8pm on Wednesday at the Gbagada bus stop. The accident was reportedly caused by the driver of a police van with number plate, RRS 317 LA.
The driver, a policeman, was said to be drunk.
An account of the incident stated that the speeding van was heading towards Oshodi when the policeman reportedly lost the control of the vehicle and veered off the expressway to the service lane, crashing into the victim, who was waiting by the roadside to board a bus.
“The vehicle responsible for the death was driven by a drunken policeman who meandered from the expressway to the service lane jumping over the median distinguishing the two lanes. Number plate, RRS 317 LA,” a Twitter user, @Adavizealao, wrote.
He said the policeman had been arrested.
Another Twitter user, Joba, described the incident as tragic and urged the police not to brush the case under the carpet. “This is so sad. I hope the arrest is not just to keep him (policeman) safe until the heat has gone down,” the poster said.
But a mechanic in the area, who identified himself only as Gabriel, said a siren attachment on the police vehicle fell on the road. He said the policeman, while trying to dodge the attachment, hit an oncoming car, which lost control and swerved to the other side of the road.
He stated that the car hit Adelowo, who was by the roadside, but pointed out that the recklessness of the police driver caused the crash.
He said, “There were other policemen in that pick up van. They should have cautioned the driver. He was drunk. He rammed the vehicle into the car while he was trying to avoid the fallen attachment. The other car swerved to the other side of the road and hit the man who was standing by the roadside. He died on the spot.
“He lived on the estate and he just finished from a university. It was a fence by the roadside that stopped the car. The policeman-driver caused the accident and must be punished.”
The gate of the victim’s parents’ residence was locked when our correspondent visited the estate.
A neighbour, who spoke to PUNCH Metro on condition of anonymity, said the family had temporarily relocated to their family house in Ibafo, Ogun State.
She said the deceased was not living with the family and had come on a visit on that day.
She said, “While he was returning home in the evening, his brother accompanied him to Gbagada bus stop. He was waiting at the bus stop to board a bus when the incident happened.
“He just graduated from the university. His death was painful. People cried uncontrollably. The driver of the police vehicle had been arrested.”
When contacted, the father of the deceased said he did not have details of the incident, and declined further comments.
“I was not at the scene. I can’t say anything,” he said.
The Lagos State Acting Police Public Relations Officer, SP Chike Oti, said the policeman was not drunk.
He, however, added that the police had commenced investigation into the accident.
He said, “First of all, the policeman was not drunk. It was a case of a fatal accident. There was a trailer moving on the expressway. As the policeman attempted to overtake the trailer, another car came from nowhere and rammed into a Camry. The Camry car veered off the road and hit a pedestrian and a stationary car by the roadside.
“However, the matter is being handled at the Anthony Police Station and at the end of the day, the outcome of investigation will be made known to the public. If anyone is found culpable, the person will be charged accordingly. All the people involved in the accident are being questioned.”
