Five people die in Kikopey road accident

The wreckage of a Nissan matatu rammed into the rear of a trailer at Kikopey, Gilgil along the Nairobi-Nakuru highway. [Antony Gitonga, Standard]

Five people died and four sustained serious injuries in a road accident at Kikopey trading centre in Gilgil, Nakuru county.

Among the deceased are a truck driver and a conductor whose trailer was involved in the grisly road accident on Sunday evening.

County Police Commander Samwel Ndanyi said the accident occurred after the driver lost control of trailer and rammed business structures along the road.

Bodies of the deceased were moved to Gilgil Sub County Hospital.

The trailer was ferrying a salt.

Residents counted themselves lucky to have escaped death by a whisker.

"I had just closed my shop and was standing by the road when I spotted the trailer coming from the Nairobi direction at abnormally high speed. The vehicle had its lights off," said Gerald Kamotho, a trader.

Kamotho said the driver lost control of the vehicle and veered off the highway before hitting a culvert.

"The impact saw the driver and the conductor thrown out of the truck cabin through the windscreen. The trailer ran over them killing them on the spot," said Kamotho.

He said that most businesses had closed by the time the accident occurred.

"Luckily most traders had closed businesses and only few people were around. Next to my shop is a pool table where three youths who were playing were killed and four others injured," said Kamotho.

Peter Nzioka who owns a timber yard was left counting losses while his son was seriously injured in the incident.

"My son was at the pool near the yard in the company of his friends. He survived with three broken ribs. He was later referred from Gilgil Sub County Hospital to Nakuru Level Five Hospital. He is now in stable condition," said Nzioka.

At least eleven people have died in three separate accidents along the highways in the last three days.