Father, wife, child die as truck causes multiple accidents in Lagos

A multi-vehicle collision occurred in the early hours of Wednesday at the Alausa, Ikeja Secretariat inward Otedola Bridge along the Lagos–Ibadan Expressway, claiming the lives of a man, his wife and their young child.

Two other persons also sustained critical injuries in the crash said to have been caused by reckless driving.

According to Adebayo Taofiq, the Director, Public Affairs and Enlightenment Department of LASTMA, the tragic accident involved three vehicles – An Audi, Toyota Camry, a truck and Toyota Corolla.

Adebayo said in a statement that the incident occurred when the heavily loaded truck travelling at excessive speed violently struck one of the vehicles from the rear. The impact caused the vehicle to lose control, colliding with two additional moving vehicles, 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 added.

The LASTMA spokesperson added that the transport agency operatives arrived promptly at the scene and coordinated seamlessly with allied emergency agencies to rescue survivors and recover the deceased.

He said, “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.

“Security personnel from the Isheri Olowora Police Division provided vital protection and operational support throughout the rescue operation while LASTMA personnel evacuated the accident vehicles from the main carriage way to avoid secondary accident.

“The multi-agency response involved coordinated efforts from the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), LASAMBUS, SEHMU and the Lagos Fire & Rescue Service.

The General Manager of LASTMA, Mr. Olalekan Bakare-Oki expressed sorrow over the “unbearable and irreplaceable loss of an entire family.”

The General Manager also extended wishes for the swift and complete recovery of the injured victims commending the rapid and coordinated efforts of all emergency responders at the scene.

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

He emphasized that excessive speed remains one of the most lethal contributors to road fatalities and urged motorists to exercise extreme caution, adhere strictly to speed regulations and cultivate defensive driving practices on highways.