Twelve killed in Nithi black spot accident
The site of the Nithi bridge accident that killed 12 people on August 31, 2024.
Twelve people were killed in a gruesome accident involving a van and a pickup truck at Nithi Bridge along the Meru-Nairobi road on Saturday night, August 31.
The 10-seater van, which was heading to Nairobi, collided head-on with the Meru-bound pickup at around 9 pm.
Tharaka Nithi police commander Zacheaus Ng'eno said the dead included 10 adults and two children.
"The vehicle was new to the Meru-Embu road and was in the wrong lane when the accident happened. We have collected ten bodies while two injured passengers are recovering in hospital," said Mr Ng'eno.
He appealed to road users to be cautious and obey road signs at the black spot.
One of the travellers who spoke to the media said the van was part of a convoy carrying a group of friends who were in Meru for a parental blessing ceremony.
"We were heading back to Kajiado after the ceremony. When we reached the steep descent, I saw the vehicle in front of us veering off the road. It crossed the barriers separating the two lanes and collided with an oncoming pickup truck. There were 10 adults and two children in the vehicle," the witness said.
Witnesses said the van appeared to have developed a brake failure as it descended into the Nithi Valley.
