An official of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) escaped death by a whisker on Thursday after he was hit by a driver who was overspeeding on the Third Mainland Bridge.

Kehinde Sonaike, a senior traffic law enforcement officer from Zone 11, landed inside the lagoon.

He was rescued by four fishermen.

The incident occurred around 11am near Adekunle, Lagos Mainland.

The driver, realising the gravity of his action, ran away with his vehicle.

According to reports, Sonaike was assisting a motorist, whose sport utility vehicle (SUV) broke down before he was hit.

The LASTMA car 058 with number plate RTM 165 LA was damaged in the process. The windscreen was shattered and the driver’s and passenger’s sides behind the driver were damaged.

Sonaike was taken to Gbagada General Hospital, Gbagada where he was stabilised. He was later taken to LASTMA Clinic in Oshodi.

Speaking in a The Nation report, the LASTMA official said that he was going to Adekunle from Iyana-Oworonsoki on patrol when he saw a man with his broken down vehicle.

He said:

“Our jobs include assisting people with broken down vehicles to get it to work or call a towing vehicle from our nearest office to help move those vehicles off the road, so as to avoid gridlock.

“But, on my way, I saw a broken down vehicle, I came down from the vehicle and put on my hazard light so that I could assist the driver. As I was assisting the man, a vehicle came and hit the LASTMA car from the rear, hit me in the process and the next thing I saw was that I fell off from the Third Mainland Bridge into the lagoon.

I can swim a little, but the fishermen rescued me. They were about four.”

LASTMA General Manager Olawale Musa decried the action of the driver.

According to him, but for God who made the fishermen rescue Sonaike, the agency would have been in another mourning mood.

He said the LASTMA official is responding to treatment.