A family of three lost their lives on Wednesday after a multiple crash involving three cars and a truck along the Lagos Ibadan Expressway.
The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority said the fatal accident occurred in the early hours of the day at Secretariat, inward Otedola Bridge, leaving a devastating scene that halted traffic and triggered an emergency response.
According to LASTMA, the accident, which involved an Audi, a Toyota Camry and a Toyota Corolla, was triggered by a heavily loaded truck reportedly travelling at an excessive speed.
Preliminary findings show that the truck rammed into one of the vehicles from behind, causing it to veer out of control and collide with two other moving cars, resulting in a deadly chain reaction.
The father, mother and their young child died instantly, leaving behind a devastating scene that authorities described as both preventable and deeply tragic. Two other victims were rescued with severe injuries.
LASTMA disclosed that the truck driver fled the scene immediately after the collision, abandoning his vehicle and evading responsibility for the fatalities.
Officials of the agency were said to have moved swiftly to the location, where they joined other emergency units in rescuing survivors and recovering the bodies.
Officers extricated two critically injured victims trapped in the wreckage and handed them over to the Lagos State Ambulance Service, LASAMBUS, for emergency treatment.
The bodies of the three deceased family members were recovered and transferred to the Lagos State Environmental Health Monitoring Unit, SEHMU, for evacuation.
The injured survivors were conveyed to the Lagos State Emergency and Trauma Centre at the Toll Gate for further medical care.
Security support during the operation was provided by officers of the Isheri Olowora Police Division, while LASTMA personnel cleared the damaged vehicles from the road to prevent a secondary crash.
The multi agency response included personnel from LASTMA, the Federal Road Safety Corps, LASEMA, LASAMBUS, SEHMU and the Lagos Fire and Rescue Service.
LASTMA General Manager, Mr Olalekan Bakare Oki, described the incident as an “unbearable tragedy,” mourning the loss of an entire family and offering prayers for the bereaved. He also wished the injured survivors a swift recovery.
Bakare Oki lamented that the accident was avoidable, reiterating the agency’s warning against excessive speed, especially by drivers of articulated and heavily loaded trucks.
He stressed that speeding remains a major cause of fatal crashes and urged motorists to embrace defensive driving and obey speed limits at all times.
He further assured Lagos residents that LASTMA will continue to intensify traffic surveillance, enforce safety regulations and strengthen collaboration with emergency and security agencies to reduce preventable road tragedies.