Emmanuel Clement
A devastating multi-vehicle collision occurred at Secretariat inward Otedola Bridge, Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, claiming the lives of three family members.
The victims, a father, mother, and child, were trapped in one of the vehicles involved in the accident.
Preliminary investigations revealed that the incident involved three vehicles (Audi, Toyota Camry & Toyota Corolla) initiated when a 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 thereby triggering the fatal chain-reaction accident.
Investigator news reports the truck driver fled the scene, leaving the victims to face the consequences.
LASTMA, along with other emergency agencies, responded quickly to the incident, rescuing two survivors and taken them to the hospital for treatment.
Security personnel from the Isheri Olowora Police Division provided vital protection and operational support throughout the rescue operation while Lastma personnel evecuated 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), LASAMBUS, SEHMU and the Lagos Fire & Rescue Service reflecting a unified commitment to life-saving intervention and traffic safety.
Reacting,the General Manager of LASTMA, Mr. Olalekan Bakare-Oki expressed profound sorrow over what he described as the “unbearable and irreplaceable loss of an entire family.”
He prayed for divine comfort for the bereaved relatives and urged them to summon fortitude amidst their unimaginable grief.
The General Manager also extended heartfelt wishes for the swift and complete recovery of the injured victims commending the rapid and coordinated efforts of all emergency responders at the scene.
While lamenting the preventable nature of the incident, Mr. 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 along highways.
Bakare-Oki went further to assured Lagosians that LASTMA remains steadfast in enhancing traffic surveillance, enforcing regulations, and collaborating with security and emergency agencies to prevent recurrence of similar tragedies.
