The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) has confirmed the deaths of three members of the same family, a father, mother, and their young child, following a multi-vehicle crash in the early hours of Wednesday at Secretariat inward Otedola Bridge on the Lagos–Ibadan Expressway.

LASTMA spokesperson Adebayo Taofiq said the accident involved an Audi, a Toyota Camry, and a Toyota Corolla. The collision was triggered when a heavily loaded truck, reportedly speeding, rammed into one of the vehicles from behind.

The impact sent the car veering out of control and crashing into two other moving vehicles, resulting in a fatal chain reaction.

According to LASTMA, the truck driver fled the scene immediately after the crash, abandoning the victims and evading arrest.

LASTMA officials arrived promptly and worked with other emergency responders to rescue trapped occupants and clear the roadway.

Two critically injured victims were pulled from the wreckage and taken by the Lagos State Ambulance Service (LASAMBUS) to the Lagos State Emergency and Trauma Centre at Toll Gate for urgent care.

The bodies of the deceased family were recovered and handed over to the Lagos State Environmental Health Monitoring Unit (SEHMU) for evacuation.

Security personnel from the Isheri Olowora Police Division provided support throughout the operation, while LASTMA removed the damaged vehicles from the expressway to prevent further accidents. The coordinated response also involved the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), SEHMU, LASAMBUS, and the Lagos Fire & Rescue Service.

LASTMA General Manager Olalekan Bakare-Oki described the tragedy as “an unbearable and irreplaceable loss of an entire family,” offering prayers for the bereaved and wishing the injured a quick recovery.

Bakare-Oki lamented that the tragedy was preventable and reiterated LASTMA’s warning against excessive speeding, particularly by drivers of articulated and heavily loaded trucks.

He noted that speeding remains a major contributor to road fatalities and urged motorists to exercise caution, obey speed limits, and adopt defensive driving habits.

He reaffirmed LASTMA’s commitment to improving traffic surveillance, enforcing safety regulations, and strengthening collaboration with security and emergency agencies to prevent similar incidents. (The Nation)