A fatal multi-vehicle crash on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway has claimed the lives of three members of the same family, identified as a father, mother, and their young child. The tragic incident occurred in the early hours of Wednesday, December 10, along the Secretariat inbound axis near the Otedola Bridge, leading to devastating loss and severe injuries.
According to officials from the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, the collision involved an Audi, a Toyota Camry, and a Toyota Corolla. The accident was triggered when a heavily loaded truck, which was reportedly speeding, rammed into the rear of one of the cars.
This initial impact caused a catastrophic chain reaction, sending the struck vehicle out of control and crashing into two other moving cars on the busy highway.
The driver of the truck responsible for the crash fled the scene immediately afterward, abandoning the victims and evading authorities. Emergency responders, including personnel from LASTMA and the Lagos State Ambulance Service, arrived promptly to manage the chaotic scene. They worked to rescue trapped occupants from the wreckage and clear the roadway to restore traffic flow.
Two critically injured victims were extracted from the debris and rushed by ambulance to the Lagos State Emergency and Trauma Centre at Toll Gate for urgent medical treatment.
The bodies of the deceased family members were recovered and handed over to the state’s Environmental Health Monitoring Unit for official evacuation and procedures.
The General Manager of LASTMA, Olalekan Bakare-Oki, described the event as an unbearable and irreplaceable loss of an entire family. He extended prayers to the bereaved and wished a swift recovery for the injured.
Bakare-Oki emphasized that the tragedy was preventable, linking it directly to the dangers of excessive speeding, particularly by drivers of large, articulated trucks.
He reiterated official warnings against speeding, noting it as a primary contributor to road fatalities in the state. The LASTMA boss urged all motorists to exercise caution, obey posted speed limits, and practice defensive driving to ensure their safety and that of others on the road.
Bakare-Oki also reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to enhancing traffic surveillance, enforcing safety regulations, and strengthening collaboration with security and emergency agencies to prevent similar heartbreaking incidents in the future.
