Unidentified Street Sweeper Crushed to Death by Commercial Bus on Meiran Road, Lagos

Early on Saturday morning, December 20, 2025, tragedy struck along Meiran Road toward the Iyana Ekoro axis of Lagos State, when a female street sweeper with the Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) was crushed to death by a commercial bus while performing her routine sanitation duties. 

According to a statement released by the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), the victim — who has not yet been publicly identified — was diligently working by the roadside, clearing debris and waste as part of her environmental sanitation responsibilities, when the fatal collision occurred. 

Preliminary investigations revealed that the vehicle involved was a blue Ford commercial bus with registration number BDG 495 YH, laden with bottled and canned beverages. Rather than proceeding along the expressway, the driver allegedly reversed unlawfully and recklessly on the busy roadway, where he struck the unsuspecting worker. 

The impact, which reportedly struck her head, was so severe that she died instantly at the scene. Traffic officers and bystanders were left horrified by the sudden and deadly turn of events that robbed a hardworking sanitation worker of her life in an instant. 

Authorities say the driver attempted to flee the scene immediately after the collision, apparently in an attempt to evade responsibility for his actions. However, LASTMA officers on routine traffic surveillance duty in the area were quickly alerted to the incident and pursued the fleeing vehicle. 

The driver was apprehended by officers and brought back to the scene, where he, along with the bus, was handed over to the Meiran Police Division for further investigation and prosecution under relevant traffic and criminal laws. 

Eyewitnesses and officials also noted that the swift intervention of law enforcement likely prevented a breakdown of law and order, as angry onlookers had gathered and were reportedly ready to confront the driver before police regained control of the situation. 

In a reaction to the tragic incident, LASTMA’s General Manager, Mr. Olalekan Bakare-Oki, condemned the driver’s actions, describing the unnecessary loss of life as both “distressing” and “entirely preventable.” He reiterated that reversing on a busy expressway not only violates the Lagos State Transport Sector Reform Law, 2018, but also poses a grave danger to other road users, especially vulnerable workers like street sweepers. 

Mr. Bakare-Oki extended heartfelt condolences to the victim’s family, colleagues, and loved ones, urging motorists across the state to exercise greater caution and respect for traffic regulations to prevent similar tragedies. 

LAWMA officials later evacuated the deceased’s remains from the scene using an official agency vehicle, following the necessary procedural steps for documentation and post-mortem examination.