Nine people have been confirmed dead following a road accident involving a PSV matatu and a truck at Pangala, Kisumu Ndogo area, along the Kericho-Muhoroni road.
Kericho Police Commander Geoffrey Mayek confirmed that the accident occurred when the truck lost control and collided with the matatu, killing the matatu driver instantly. The truck driver fled the scene.
The injured were rushed to Muhoroni Sub-County Hospital for treatment, while the bodies of the deceased were taken to St Vincent Mission Hospital mortuary in Muhoroni for identification and post-mortem examination.
Both vehicles were towed to Kipsitet Police Station for further investigations.
Eyewitnesses reported that the truck driver was speeding and collided with the matatu while trying to avoid potholes on the road.
In July 2023, 52 people died in another fatal accident on the same road.
This incident followed a tragic accident just two days earlier in which twelve people lost their lives in Tharaka Nithi District.
The accident involved a van and a pick-up truck at the Nithi bridge on the Chuka-Meru road.
The accident occurred on Saturday night and killed 12 passengers in the van. The victims included eight adult women, two adult men and two children.
Preliminary investigations suggest that the accident was caused by the driver of the van veering out of lane.
“The accident occurred when the driver of the motor vehicle failed to maintain his proper lane, resulting in a head-on collision with the Toyota pickup truck,” a police report said.
The driver of the pick-up suffered a fracture to his right leg, while another passenger sustained head injuries and was referred to the Chuka Referral Hospital for treatment.
