Juliet Oladele, Reporting
A 55-year-old motorist has miraculously escaped unhurt after a passenger train collided with his vehicle at the PWD railway crossing in Lagos, reducing the car to a virtual write-off.
The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) confirmed the incident on Friday, stating that the Honda saloon car, bearing registration number EKY 902 JT, was struck by the train, which was travelling towards Agege.
According to a statement signed by LASTMA’s Director of Public Affairs and Enlightenment, Adebayo Taofiq, the impact left the vehicle extensively damaged, yet the driver emerged without a scratch.
“Notwithstanding the severity of the impact and the considerable destruction sustained by the vehicle, the motorist miraculously escaped without any reported injury, with no casualty recorded at the scene,” the statement read.
An earlier traffic update issued at 7:20am reported that onlookers had pushed the car off the tracks, while officers managed traffic and emergency responders attended to the incident.
LASTMA said its operatives, alongside security personnel, rescued the driver and facilitated the removal of the wreckage from the railway track.
“Their timely and coordinated intervention was instrumental in clearing the obstruction and enabling the train to resume its journey towards Agege,” the agency said.
However, motorists were warned to expect continued delays, with traffic congestion persisting around the PWD axis long after the tracks had been cleared.
“Despite the successful removal of the wrecked automobile from the railway track, vehicular movement around the PWD axis remains severely impeded,” LASTMA added.
The wrecked car was subsequently handed over to security personnel, who have launched an investigation into the cause of the collision.
LASTMA General Manager, Olalekan Bakare-Oki, praised the coordinated response of those involved and stressed the importance of prompt intervention during transport emergencies.
He urged motorists to exercise caution when approaching railway crossings and warned against attempting to cross the tracks when a train was approaching or already in motion.
“The Authority maintains that the preservation of human life must remain paramount in all road-use decisions,” the statement said.
LASTMA appealed to motorists and other road users to obey traffic and railway safety regulations to prevent avoidable collisions.
