Hunt continues for bus driver in Mau Summit crash that killed 15
Rescuers at the scene of the road crash at Twin Bridge area of Mau Summit along the Nakuru-Eldoret highway that claimed the lives of 15 people on January 09, 2023.
What you need to know:
- National Transport and Safety Authority are working with the police to locate the driver and have him arrested.
- According to the NTSA, the accident was caused by lane indiscipline and dangerous overtaking by the bus driver.
The National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) has launched a manhunt for a driver who fled after the bus he was driving collided with a matatu, killing 15 people on Tuesday morning.
The accident occurred in the Twin Bridge area of Mau Summit along the Nakuru-Eldoret highway.
According to Kuresoi North sub-county police boss Judah Gathenge, the driver of the Classic Kings of Congo bus immediately fled the scene.
“We have launched a manhunt for him. We want him to shed light on what transpired before the accident,” said Gathenge.
The NTSA said in a statement on Tuesday night that it was working with the police to locate the driver and ensure he is brought to justice.
“The driver of the bus is currently at large, and all efforts are ongoing to apprehend him. An investigation has commenced to establish the full circumstances leading to this crash to inform prosecution and recommendations,” the NTSA said.
Rescuers at the scene of the road crash at Twin Bridge area of Mau Summit along the Nakuru-Eldoret highway that claimed the lives of 15 people on January 09, 2023.
According to the NTSA, the accident was caused by lane indiscipline and dangerous overtaking by the bus driver before his vehicle collided with an 11-seater Northways matatu, killing all the occupants of the matatu.
The police boss said that eight of the dead were adults while seven were children aged between one and 15 years.
“Seven other passengers (in the bus) were injured, including five foreigners and two Kenyans, while 38 escaped with minor injuries,” he added.
The Nairobi-Nakuru-Eldoret highway, which is due to be upgraded, has claimed several lives and left many others injured. In the past three months alone, at least 30 people have died in separate accidents along the road.
The NTSA and traffic police have come under public scrutiny following the increase in road accidents along the highway.
Latest data from the NTSA shows that as of January 7, some 508 road accident victims had been reported, with the majority classified as seriously injured (234), followed by minor injuries (190) and fatalities (84).
Of the 84 fatalities, pedestrians were the most affected, followed by motorcyclists, passengers, drivers, passengers and pedal cyclists.
