Truck crushes baby to death, injures mother

According to punch: The driver of a heavy duty truck marked KTU771XC, has been arraigned for alleged reckless driving which resulted in the death of a three-month-old baby, Perfection Fatoki, while her mother, Mary, sustained injuries in the mouth and the arm.

PUNCH Metro learnt that the mother and child were crushed on the Alagbado end of the Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway by a truck driver who is still at large. The fleeing driver, it was learnt, knocked down Perfection from the comfort of her mother’s back, smashing her head in the process.

It was learnt that the truck driver, McDonald Ogunlana, 46, had, while trying to avoid a pothole, veered off the road where the nursing mother was reportedly walking. However, another oncoming van, said to be on top speed, rammed into Mrs. Fatoki and her daughter while trying to avoid the same spot.

It was gathered that the van driver took the victims to Onipanu General Hospital but he was said to have fled with his vehicle when the baby died.

It was also learnt that Mary was still receiving treatment at the hospital.

While recounting the incident, her husband, simply identified as Mr. Fatoki, described Perfection’s death as “extremely shocking.” He, however, said the family had taken solace in God over the loss.

He said, “I was in the office when I received a call that my wife and daughter were involved in an accident. When I got to the hospital, my daughter’s head was covered in blood. It was very shocking she died in this manner but we have put our faith in God to give us the fortitude to bear her loss. Her mother sustained injuries in the mouth and her left arm. She is getting better now.”

In a charge brought before a magistrate court sitting at Ijaiye-Ojokoro, Ogunlana and the suspect at large were accused of violating traffic law.

The charge reads, “That you Macdonald Ogulana, 46, on September 30, 2014 at about 4pm at Moshalasi bus stop, Alagbado, along Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway in the Lagos Magisterial District being the driver in charge of a Man Diesel Truck with registration number KTU771XC and one at large drove on a public highway in a dangerous and reckless manner without due care and attention and caused the death of one Perfection Fatoki, three months old, and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 19 Schedule 1 of the road traffic laws of Lagos State, Nigeria, 2012.”

After the defendant pleaded not guilty to the offence, his counsel, Mr. I.O. Odje, applied for his bail in liberal terms.

The magistrate, Mrs. A.M. Davies, admitted him to bail in the sum of N500, 000 with two sureties in like sum.

“The sureties must be related to the defendant by blood and present evidence of tax payment. Their addresses must also be verified by the prosecutor,” she added.

The case was adjourned till December 8, 2014.