Four perish in road accidents

By Antony Gitonga  and Edwin Makiche

Four people lost their lives in separate road accidents in Central and South Rift on Monday.

In Naivasha, two people died in the spot and scores of injured in a grisly road accident along the Nairobi-Nakuru highway.

The accident involving four vehicles occurred near Morendat center five kilometers from Naivasha town and adversely affected the flow of traffic.

The accident involving four vehicles, a bus, canter and two lorries occurred at around 7am leaving three people fighting for their lives in different hospitals.

According to the driver of one of the lorries Victor Rono, the driver of the Canter which was heading to Naivasha from Nakuru was to blame for the accident.

He accused him of overtaking carelessly ramming into an incoming lorry and a bus that was ferrying flower farm workers.

"We suspect the driver of the canter fell asleep before loosing control and hitting the lorry and in the process two other vehicles got involved," he said.

Another witness Upesi Mwangi said that two men from the canter died on the spot after they were thrown out and crashed by the trailer.

"Two men died on the spot while the injured have been taken to various hospitals in Naivasha town," said the witness.

Naivasha OCPD Charles Kortok confirmed the accident adding that those injured were rushed to various hospitals in Naivasha.

Kortok said investigations had begun so as to find out the cause of the morning accident and called on drivers to be cautious.

“The bodies have been taken to Naivasha district hospital mortuary while the vehicles involved in the accident have been towed to Naivasha police station”.

At the scene personal effects some soaked in blood were littered all over as a heavy traffic jam was witnessed following the accident.

In Bomet, two more people died and scores injured  over the weekend following two separate accidents that occurred along Bomet-Nairobi highway.

In the first instance, a boda boda rider died on the sport after his motorbike collided head on with an oncoming saloon car. According to Bomet traffic boss James Munyi, the rider had diverted from the highway without indicating to the other road users of his intentions.

Meanwhile, a primary school teacher lost his life after his motorcycle was involved in an accident at the same spot on Sunday.

Speaking to The Standard, Munyi decried that several lives have been lost due to numerous accidents that happen at the spot every week.He cautioned the motorists against over speeding along the stretch.