The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) has appealed to motorists and other road users to demonstrate strong compliance with established traffic and railway safety regulations.
LASTMA also appealed to road users to exercise heightened vigilance and sound judgment at all times.
The General Manager of LASTMA, Mr Olalekan Bakare-Oki, made the appeal on Friday after its security personnel saved a 55-year-old man whose car collided with a moving train at the PWD Railway Line, near Oshodi.
This is contained in a statement he issued.
The general manager said the moving train was travelling inward to Agege when the Honda (EKY 902 JT) collided with it.
According to Bakare-Oki, the 55-year-old man survived the encounter.
“The collision inflicted extensive and irreparable damage on the Honda car, rendering it virtually a complete write-off.
“Notwithstanding the severity of the impact and the destruction sustained by the vehicle, the motorist miraculously escaped without any reported injury,” Bakare-Oki said.
He added that no casualty was recorded at the scene.
Bakare-Oki said LASTMA operatives, working in concert with security personnel, rescued the driver and facilitated the immediate removal of the mangled vehicle 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.
“Despite the successful removal of the wrecked automobile from the railway track, vehicular movement around the PWD axis remained severely impeded, with considerable traffic congestion continuing to undermine the smooth flow of traffic along the affected corridor.
“The Honda car was subsequently handed over to security personnel by LASTMA for further investigation into the remote cause of the collision,” he said.
He said effective inter-agency collaboration, situational awareness and expeditious emergency intervention remained indispensable to mitigating the consequences of transport incidents, particularly those involving railways and adjoining road infrastructure.
He urged adherence to railway safety regulations, advising motorists to exercise caution when approaching railway crossings and designated train corridors.
He also cautioned against any attempt to traverse railway tracks when a train is approaching, stressing that disregard for railway safety protocols could have irreversible consequences.
