Woman Killed Running Across Road Near Pedestrian Bridge

                   

Today a woman was knocked down and killed as she attempted running across the busy highway just a about 30 metres away from the Pedestrian bridge at Palmgrove area of Lagos.

It is a sad thing but one is tempted to ask why people take the risk of crossing the highway like James Bond when a pedestrian bridge has been provided to prevent such unfortunate incidents?

This was the debate in the BRT bus I boarded this morning on my way to the office at Lekki.

According to some of the passengers, The Lagos state government’s laws stipulate that the families of such victims as this woman would have to pay a surcharge before they can claim the body.

Pulse.ng could not confirm this, but there seems to be some truth to it.

Now, this makes it a double loss, first the traumatic loss of a loved one and then the fact that you have to pay to get the body

Despite the fact that people are arrested for crossing the roads, they still do it... parents with children, handicapped people, pregnant women and able bodied folks too may claim that the climb up, across and down is strenuous, but is death by hit-and-run a better option?

In November 2003, Gov Fashola, Fashola, while ordering the construction of five pedestrian bridges along Lagos Epe Expressway in the state following an accident where students were killed appealed to officers of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, LASTMA, to ensure that students crossing where there were no pedestrian bridges were assisted.

He also said drivers who killed pedestrians as a result of recklessness would be dealt with.

But today’s accident shows that the problem lies with the people too.

Please save your life and use the pedestrian bridges. And if you have a visitor coming to Lagos for the first time, tell them to never run across a Lagos road.

There is no reason to not use the pedestrian bridge, especially with everyone – drivers inclusive – in a hurry to nowhereShe failed to use the pedestrian bridge and got knocked-down while crossing the highway. Unfortunately, she died.