Three escape death after car rams into guardrails and plunges into river

The car that plunged into River Rupingazi on Sunday after veering off the road and rammed the guardrails. [Joseph Muchiri/Standard]

Three people escaped death narrowly after a car they were travelling in veered off the road, ramming into guardrails and plunged into River Rupingazi.

According to eyewitnesses, the Toyota probox was being driven from Kirinyaga towards Embu town on Sunday and was speeding.

David Kimotho, a passer-by who was among the rescuers said the car’s occupants- two men and a woman, did not have visible injuries though they were badly shaken. They were assisted out of the car and rushed to the Embu Level Five Hospital.

The car was lifted out of the river using a crane and towed to Embu Police Station.

Incidentally, the guardrails were reinstalled barely a month ago having been ripped off by another car, as had happened several times in the past.

Last week, two 14-seater matatus collided head-on in the same spot leading to the death of two people and 28 others sustaining serious injuries.

The Kenya National Highway Authority (KeNHA) has already installed rumble strips as you approach the bridge to prompt drivers to slow down. However, failure by drivers to slow down led to several accidents.

Residents want KeNHA to expand the section of the road and make it a dual lane with permanent barriers instead of the guardrails.