Four perish in lorry-bus crash at a black spot

Four people died on the spot when an Eldoret-bound bus collided with a lorry near Sachang’wan black spot Monday.

Police said 16 other people were seriously injured in the accident, which they blamed on vandalism of road signs and poor judgment by drivers.
The accident occurred at Migaa area on Nakuru-Eldoret highway, two-kilometres from Sachang’wan market— a stretch at which ten fatal accidents have occurred in the last eight months.

Rift Valley Provincial Traffic Commandant Mary Omari said the 16 were admitted to Nakuru General Hospital.

The accident occurred when the trailer broke free as the lorry driver attempted to engage brakes, before flying into the path of the oncoming Easy Coach bus.

“It hit the Easy Coach bus, damaging it beyond repair before flying and landing into a ditch 80 metres away,” Ms Omari said.

The sudden swing of the trailer also made the lorry driver to lose control before the vehicle skidded on its side, hit a parking side kerb and flew into a concrete culvert.

The string of fatal accidents, residents said, could have been avoided if the government expanded the Sachang’wan-Salgaa stretch into a two-way road.

And despite the eight-kilometre stretch between Salgaa to Sachang’wan being a black spot, no single road sign stands in the area to warn drivers since all have been vandalised.

Ms Omari blamed drivers for some of the accidents, saying most of them engage the free gear while descending the steep stretch, only to break on sensing danger.

Monday’s crash left the area littered with broken windscreens, windows and other mangled motor vehicle parts.

The mangled wreckage were towed to Rongai Police Station as investigations into the accident were launched.

Two weeks ago, an inter-denominational prayer was held near the accident spot.