Two kids die in Lagos auto crash

Tragedy struck on Saturday after a vehicle killed a four-year-old child and a baby around Cement Bus Stop along the Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway, Lagos State.

The mother of the victims, who was also crushed in the accident, was said to be in a critical condition at a general hospital in the state.

It was learnt that the driver of the red coloured Land Rover jeep, with number plate TTD 78 AA, Ogun State, is currently being detained at the Dopemu Police Division.

Eyewitnesses said the yet-to-be identified mother was crossing the expressway with her children when the incident happened.

It was learnt that the vehicle, which was coming in-ward Iyana-Ipaja, was on top speed. The woman was said to have frozen to the spot when she saw the vehicle.

Eyewitnesses said the child snatched his hand from the mother and attempted to flee to the other side of the road. The jeep hit the mother and her children.

The four-year-old child was said to have died on the spot, while the baby, who was strapped to her back, died shortly after being rushed to the hospital.

She was reportedly on a visit to a friend in the area.

A woman, who sold oranges by the road side and identified herself as Mama Nnenna, said, “Around 12 noon, we saw that the woman wanted to cross the expressway and was hit by the car. She had a baby at her back, and was holding another child with her hand.

“She had stopped at the middle of the road due to fear. The child she was holding, which was about four years of age, was hit and his intestines came out. The child died right there while the baby’s leg was broken. The woman was also badly hit.”

Officials of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority were said to have arrived at the scene to control the traffic which built up after the accident.

Mama Nnenna said there was gridlock for over two hours, while commuters and pedestrians who were held in the traffic snarl shook their heads in shock and pity.

Another eyewitness, Prince Ekene, said the driver of the Land Rover vehicle tried to bring the car to a halt, but had a brake failure.

He said the driver parked the vehicle by the side of the road after the tragedy, and was later arrested by the police.

PUNCH Metro gathered that the driver was a government official and was coming from his home in Mowe, Ogun State to see his pastor over a nightmare he had had the previous day.

The Deputy Police Public Relations Officer, Damascus Ozoani, confirmed the accident and the arrest of the suspect to our correspondent.

Ozoani said, “The woman is alive and responding to treatment, but the second child also died some hours later at the general hospital. Their corpses have been deposited at the Mainland General Hospital Mortuary for autopsy. Meanwhile, the vehicle and driver are in police custody while investigation is in progress at Dopemu division.”