By Adesakin Adefemi
A pedestrian lost his life on Sunday evening after being knocked down by a Toyota Coaster bus at Imowo, along the Imowo-Ibadan Road inward Ijebu Ode in Ogun State. The incident occurred at about 4:45 pm, according to the Ogun State Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Agency, TRACE.
TRACE spokesperson Babatunde Akinbiyi confirmed the fatality on Monday, stating that the accident caused serious traffic congestion due to the obstruction created by the bus. Operatives from TRACE and officers from the Obalende Police Division were immediately deployed to the scene to manage traffic and carry out rescue operations.
Preliminary findings from eyewitnesses indicated that the pedestrian attempted to cross the road without checking the other side for oncoming vehicles. The agency noted that the situation was compounded by ongoing road rehabilitation works on the axis, which had diverted traffic to a single lane outward Ijebu Ode.
“There is diversion to one lane due to ongoing road rehabilitation on the axis,” Akinbiyi said in a statement. He added that the pedestrian’s failure to observe both sides of the road before crossing was a key factor in the incident.
No other injuries were recorded aside from the death of the male pedestrian. TRACE operatives worked to control vehicular movement around the scene to ease congestion and prevent secondary accidents along the busy corridor.
The agency’s personnel assisted in moving the presumed dead victim into an Ogun State Emergency Medical Services and Ambulance System, OGSAS, ambulance. The body was later conveyed to the General Hospital Mortuary in Ijebu Ode for preservation.
The accidented Toyota Coaster bus was subsequently evacuated from the road and taken to the Police Area Command in Igbeba for further investigation. Authorities said the removal was necessary to restore normal traffic flow on the affected route.
Akinbiyi confirmed that normal vehicular movement had been restored after the evacuation exercise was completed. He urged pedestrians and motorists to exercise caution, especially in areas marked for construction and lane diversion.
A separate incident was also reported on the Third Mainland Bridge in Lagos, where a policeman riding a motorcycle died after being hit by a Lexus car. The driver, in that case, reportedly surrendered to the police following the crash.
