Eight perish in grisly accident involving three lorries
Eight people were killed in a grisly accident involving three lorries along the Nyeri – Nairobi highway on Thursday night.
The crash happened at around 8pm at Kangocho area, about two kilometers from Karatina town, when the three trucks collided head on killing seven on the spot.
The eighth victim succumbed to injuries while receiving treatment at a private hospital in Karatina.
According to the regional traffic commander Samuel Bore, one of the lorries ferrying goats from Isiolo towards Nairobi lost control after its brakes failed. It rammed into the two other lorries that were heading to Karatina.
“The lorry that was carrying goats lost control and collided head on with the other two. Six of the passengers who were watching over the goats and two of the drivers perished. The driver of the third lorry suffered serious injuries and is recuperating at Jamii Hospital in Karatina,” said the traffic police boss.
Witnesses said the lorry from Isiolo was speeding and that was the reason it lost control.
“The lorry that was carrying goats was speeding and that is why it lost control and hit the ones from Nairobi,” said Samuel Maina, one of the witnesses.
Some of the witness however said that more lives could have been saved were it not for the unavailability of medical personnel to respond to the crash victims.
“Since medical staff have gone on strike, there were few people to attend to the victims. If they were still on duty maybe more lives would have been saved,” said Samuel Kinyoriro, one of the few boda boda operators who rushed to the scene.