14 perish in New Year road crashes

The bus which was involved in a tragic road accident with a Nissan Matatu along Nakuru-Eldoret Highway killing eleven people near Sachangwan [PHOTO: BONIFACE THUKU]

By Patrick Kibet and Antony Gitonga                 

KENYA: Four hours into the New Year 11 road crash victims lay dead in and out of their squashed 14-seater matatu.

They died as they travelled to their loved ones, confident they would see them just before or in the first few hours of the New Year.

The crash that killed them took place at the Salgaa black spot on the Nakuru-Eldoret Highway, which has seen so much blood and tears flow because of road smash-ups and even oil tanker fire tragedies.

The scene bore all the marks of the horror that struck dead at night. They included caked blood on the ground littered with broken glass and torn metal strips from what was the deluxe passenger vehicle. There were also luggage, some bearing gifts the dead hoped to deliver to their families, strewn all over.

Stench of human blood hung in the air at the Salgaa scene where the travellers, coincidentally all men, died. The accident involved a truck, a bus, and their van. The matatu was on the way to Nakuru when it rammed onto a trailer from behind before the driver lost control and hitting a bus heading to Kitale from Nairobi.

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As Kenyans struggle to come to terms with the string of horror crashes on the roads, as they marked the first day of the New Year, an accident involving four vehicles in Naivasha claimed three more lives. 

Scores of others were seriously injured in the accident that involved a matatu, a bus, a lorry, and a personal car near Ihindu trading centre on the Nairobi-Nakuru Highway.

A witness said a bus heading to Nairobi from Nakuru rammed head-on into an incoming matatu heading to Naivasha.

Blocking the road

“The bus was overtaking when it hit an oncoming matatu, which rolled several times before landing in a ditch,” said a witness.

Two other vehicles that were also going to Nairobi rammed into the rear of the bus blocking a section of the road.

In Tuesday’s incident, the driver and a passenger in the matatu died on the spot while ten people were injured, two of them seriously.

“The driver and his passenger died on the spot, while the third person died on arrival at the Kijabe Mission Hospital,” said the witness.

Naivasha police chief Charles Kortok explained initial investigations indicated the bus driver was to blame for the accident.

“The driver of the matatu tried to evade the bus, but his vehicle was hit head-on and rolled several times before hitting a tree,” he said.

On the Salgaa accident on New Year’s Eve, the driver of the bus onto which the ill-fated matatu crashed explained he was on moderate speed of 70km per hour.

Mr Khaemba Kwambi, who sustained slight injuries on the legs and chest, said: “The driver of the matatu was not aware of the trailer, which was also heading to Nakuru but at a low speed. After noticing the lorry the driver tried to avoid it, but rammed it before swerving to the right, hitting us head-on.”

Speeding car

 “I was going home from New Year church service, when I heard a bang. On rushing to the scene we found 10 bodies on the road,” said George Nganga, who was at the Salgaa crash scene.

Unfortunately, a survivor rescued by Good Samaritans died while being taken to hospital.

“As we were driving uphill, the matatu was speeding before ramming into the trailer and on impact it was thrown off to the right side of the road,” said the conductor of the bus.

He added that even though the driver of the bus was travelling on moderate speed, he could not avoid hitting the matatu head-on after it swerved to his right.

“This wreckage should be placed at the roundabout to warn errant matatu drivers of the dangers of speeding,” said Moses Gitau.

Rongai divisional police boss Joseph Mwamburi said the driver of the matatu was speeding when the PSV crashed onto the trailer before smashing onto the oncoming bus.

“The matatu was speeding and you can tell from the wreckage.  If it were travelling at a moderate speed the driver would have been able to control the vehicle and overtake when the road is clear,” Mwamburi said.

Mwamburi added the driver of the bus and a passenger were injured on the legs and were taken to hospital.