At least seven people were killed and three others critically injured in a grisly road accident along the busy Nairobi-Mombasa highway in the coastal region on Saturday.
Divisional police commander Patrick Ngeiywa confirmed the accident which occurred at Bonje area near Mariakani at around 8.00 a.m.
“The accident involved a matatu (minibus) which was headed to Voi town from Mombasa city.
“It collided head-on with a truck which was coming from Nairobi to Mombasa,” Ngeiywa said by telephone.
Ngeiywa said three of the passengers sustained serious injuries in the 8.00 a.m. accident.
The police officer said the minibus driver was among the deceased.
Ngeiywa said five people died on the spot while two others died on arrival at the hospital.
The local police commander said the truck’s driver lost control and swerved to the opposite lane hitting the minibus head on.
“We have launched investigations to establish the cause of the accident.
“Meanwhile, the manhunt for the driver of the truck is underway after he escaped from the scene,” Ngeiywa said.
Road accidents still continue to occur despite strict traffic rules which were introduced by the government to help curb road carnage.
An estimated 3,057 Kenyans died in road accidents in 2015 despite concerted efforts by the state and the private sector to promote safety on the highways, according to the National Transport Safety Authority (NTSA).
