10 killed as truck hits six vehicles at black spot

Ten people were killed in an accident involving seven vehicles on the notorious Salgaa-Sachangwan stretch on Sunday.

Seven died on the spot while three others lost their lives at the Rift Valley Provincial General Hospital.

Medical superintendent John Murima said 10 others, among them two children and two women, were admitted to the hospital with serious injuries.

The 2pm accident on the Nakuru-Eldoret highway occurred when the brakes of a truck ferrying maize from Eldoret to Nairobi failed as it was descending from Sachangwan.

The truck hit three matatus, two lorries and a saloon car.

BLACK SPOT

Four of the vehicles it rammed were going in the opposite direction while the other two, including the one with the most fatalities, were going towards Salgaa.

Rongai police boss Joseph Mwamburi said those who died on the spot included the driver of the truck. “The truck driver could not control the vehicle after its brakes failed. We shall inspect the vehicle to find out what really went wrong,” he said.

He added: “Passengers in the other vehicles that were involved in the accident sustained soft tissue injuries, but most of those in the last matatu died.”

The matatu was ferrying passengers from Molo to Salgaa trading centre.

Close to 40 people have died along the notorious stretch.

Many road safety awareness workshops for motorists, and even prayers, have been held in the area, but the carnage continues.

In March, 14 people, 12 of them from Nyathuna Village in Subukia, Nakuru County died in a single accident.

Mr Mwamburi said the only way to end deaths along the stretch is to build special a lane for trucks.

His sentiments were echoed by National Transport Safety Authority director Edwin Mukabana, who was at the scene of the accident yesterday.