By Olasunkanmi Akoni

A couple and two other passengers sustained varying degrees of injuries on Sunday after a commercial bus crashed into a streetlight at Alausa, Ikeja, Lagos State.

According to eyewitness accounts, the driver of the fully loaded commercial bus, painted in Lagos colours and bearing registration number KTU 69 YJ, was visibly intoxicated before losing control and colliding with the median streetlight.

The General Manager of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), Olalekan Bakare-Oki, confirmed that preliminary investigations revealed the driver was heavily under the influence of alcohol at the time of the crash.

“The ferocity of the impact triggered widespread alarm and resulted in significant injuries to several passengers, notably a couple seated in the middle row,” Bakare-Oki stated.

He praised the swift response of nearby LASTMA officials who rescued the injured passengers. Four victims—including the couple, a male, and a female passenger—were quickly extricated from the wreckage, received on-site emergency care, and were stabilized.

The victims were then transferred to the Lagos State Ambulance Service (LASAMBUS) and subsequently taken to the Trauma and Emergency Centre at the Toll Gate for specialized treatment.

Fortunately, other passengers sustained no serious injuries.

Bakare-Oki condemned the reckless endangerment posed by alcohol-impaired driving and reiterated LASTMA’s commitment to addressing the menace.

He emphasized the continuous efforts of LASTMA’s Monitoring and Surveillance Unit, which actively engages drivers in motor parks across the state under its signature campaign: “Don’t Drink and Drive.”