LASTMA confirms 3-member family dead in multi-vehicle collision in Lagos

The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) has confirmed the death of a three-member family – father, mother and child in a tragic road accident in Lagos.

The General Manager, LASTMA, Mr Olalekan Bakare-Oki, said in a statement that the incident, a multi-vehicle collision, occurred in the early hours of Wednesday at Secretariat inward Otedola Bridge, along the Lagos–Ibadan Expressway.

Bakare-Oki noted that two other victims sustained critical injuries, adding that it underscored the devastating consequences of reckless vehicular conduct.

“Preliminary investigations revealed that the incident involved three vehicles (Audi, Toyota Camry and Toyota Corolla).

‘’The incident occurred when a heavily loaded truck speeding struck one of the vehicles from the rear.

“The impact caused the vehicle to lose control, colliding with two additional moving vehicles thereby triggering the fatal chain-reaction accident.

“In a disturbing development the truck driver absconded immediately from the scene with his vehicle leaving the victims in peril and evading accountability for the fatal incident,” he said.

He said that LASTMA operatives arrived promptly at the scene and coordinated seamlessly with allied emergency agencies to rescue survivors and recover the deceased.

“Two critically injured victims trapped within the wreckage were carefully extricated and conveyed by the Lagos State Ambulance Service (LASAMBUS) for urgent medical attention.

“The three deceased family members, tragically trapped together were respectfully recovered and handed over to the Lagos State Environmental Health Monitoring Unit (SEHMU) for immediate evacuation.

“The surviving injured victims were rushed to the Lagos State Emergency and Trauma Centre, Toll-Gate to receive comprehensive medical care,” he said.

The LASTMA boss said security personnel from the Isheri Olowora Police Division provided vital protection and operational support throughout the rescue operation.

He also said that LASTMA personnel evacuated the accident vehicles from the main carriage way to avoid another secondary accident.

“The multi-agency response also involved coordinated efforts from the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA).

‘’Others are LASAMBUS, SEHMU and the Lagos Fire and Rescue Service, reflecting a unified commitment to life-saving intervention and traffic safety,” Bakare-Oki said.

He expressed profound sorrow over what he described as the unbearable and irreplaceable loss of an entire family.

Bakare-Oki, however, reiterated LASTMA’s warning against reckless speeding, particularly by drivers of articulated and heavily loaded trucks.

He emphasised that speeding remained one of the most lethal contributors to road fatalities.

He, therefore, urged motorists to exercise extreme caution, adhere strictly to speed regulations and cultivate defensive driving practices along highways.

Bakare-Oki further assured Lagosians that LASTMA remained steadfast in enhancing traffic surveillance.

‘’Also, enforcing regulations, and collaborating with security and emergency agencies to prevent recurrence of similar tragedies, ‘’ he said.