KENYA: 3 Killed in Ghastly Accident on Eldoret-Malaba Highway, Bodies Trapped For Hours

The Eldoret fire brigade was called in to free the bodies of three people who died after their saloon car collided head-on with a truck at Kosachei near Turbo on the Eldoret-Malaba highway.

The accident happened at 5am and efforts by police and locals to rescue the three passengers, a woman and two men, were frustrated by the badly mangled wreckage, forcing police to call in the firemen.

Witnesses said the three were headed towards Eldoret Town when their vehicle collided head-on with a truck headed for Malaba.

Angry motorists blamed corruption in the police force for the laxity in the implementation of traffic rules.

The trio perished on the spot, 15 kilometres from Eldoret Town.

DIED ON THE SPOT

“The transit goods vehicle was headed for Malaba when it hit the saloon vehicle travelling to Eldoret, killing three occupants in the car on the spot,” said a traffic police officer at the scene.

According to an eye witnesses, the truck was allegedly speeding when it hit the on-coming saloon car, pushing it more than 500 metres from the highway.

“We heard loud bangs followed by screams for help, only to rush to the scene and find people trapped in a mangled car,” said Mr Joseph Sang, another eye witness.

He said occupants of the truck escaped unhurt during the accident that caused a huge traffic snarl-up along the busy highway.

The bodies were moved to the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital’s mortuary.

“Some of these accidents can be avoided if the police exercise transparency in their service by refraining from corrupt practices,” said Mr Richard Kosgei, a motorist.

He attributed some of the accidents to the truck drivers spending long hours on the road without rest and petitioned transit goods operators to have a maximum resting period.

According to the latest Afrobarometer survey, the National Police Service is worst hit by corruption despite the vetting of senior officers in the fight against corruption.