A 28-year-old driver died while receiving treatment and two others sustained serious injuries after a Probox carrying miraa collided head-on with a lorry transporting sand along the Mwea-Embu Highway in Kirinyaga County.
The accident happened near Mutithi Trading Centre in Mwea on Friday, just hours after residents gathered for the burial of 10 people who lost their lives in another road crash at Murubara the previous Saturday.
Witnesses working in nearby rice farms said they watched helplessly as the two vehicles collided before the lorry burst into flames.
According to some residents, the Probox was travelling at high speed when a motorcycle reportedly entered the path of the two vehicles, leading to the head-on collision.
The impact caused the Probox to roll several times before landing in a nearby rice field, while the lorry was left burning along the busy highway.
Justin Njogu, a farmer who was working in the fields at the time of the crash, said he heard a loud bang before seeing smoke rising from the scene.
He said he rushed to check what had happened but could only watch as the lorry caught fire.
The lorry driver and his assistant managed to escape with minor injuries.Mwea-West Sub-County Police Commander Millicent Ngugi confirmed the accident, saying the Probox was travelling from Meru towards Nairobi while the lorry was heading in the direction of Ngurubani.
Ngugi said the three occupants of the Probox were taken to White Rose Private Hospital, where the driver died while undergoing treatment.
The other two passengers, aged 33 and 29, suffered serious injuries to their legs and heads.
The deceased’s body was moved to the Kerugoya Hospital mortuary, while both vehicles were towed to Wang’uru Police Station as investigations into the accident continued.
The police commander said the fire that had engulfed the lorry was later put out using a clean-water bowser from the Kirinyaga County Government.
The Probox was extensively damaged during the crash.Some witnesses, however, raised concerns over the actions of residents who arrived at the scene.
They claimed some people first rushed to collect miraa from the damaged vehicle before helping those injured in the crash.
Peter Muriithi, a witness, said some residents were taking away the miraa as the lorry burned before turning their attention to assisting the victims.
The latest accident has increased concerns among residents over road safety on the Mwea-Embu Highway, which has witnessed several deadly crashes.
Residents are now calling for urgent measures to improve safety along the road, including repairing damaged sections, installing more traffic-calming measures and expanding the highway.
Mary Wambui, a resident, said more action was needed to prevent further loss of lives, noting that the road serves several counties and requires major improvements.
