Three members of the same family — a father, mother and their young child — have been confirmed dead following a tragic multi-vehicle accident along the Lagos–Ibadan Expressway in the early hours of Tuesday.

The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) said the crash occurred at Secretariat inward Otedola Bridge and involved three cars: an Audi, a Toyota Camry and a Toyota Corolla.

According to preliminary findings, the collision was triggered by a speeding, heavily loaded truck that rammed into one of the vehicles from behind. The impact caused the car to veer out of control and crash into two other moving vehicles, resulting in a fatal chain-reaction.

“The tragic accident instantly claimed the lives of three members of the same family, while two other victims sustained critical injuries,” LASTMA said.

In a distressing development, the truck driver reportedly fled the scene with the vehicle immediately after the crash, abandoning the victims and evading responsibility.

LASTMA officials arrived promptly, coordinating rescue operations alongside other emergency responders. Two critically injured victims trapped in the wreckage were extricated and taken by the Lagos State Ambulance Service (LASAMBUS) for urgent medical care.

The bodies of the deceased family were recovered and handed over to the Lagos State Environmental Health Monitoring Unit (SEHMU) for evacuation. The survivors were later transferred to the Lagos State Emergency and Trauma Centre, Toll Gate, for treatment.

Security personnel from the Isheri Olowora Police Division provided operational support, while LASTMA cleared the wreckage to prevent secondary accidents. Agencies involved in the multi-agency rescue mission included the FRSC, LASEMA, LASAMBUS, SEHMU, and the Lagos Fire and Rescue Service.

LASTMA General Manager, Olalekan Bakare-Oki, expressed deep sorrow over what he described as the “unbearable and irreplaceable loss of an entire family.”