Five Family Members Die In Nakuru-Nairobi Highway Accident

The victims lost their lives after a Mercedes Benz they were travelling in collided head-on with a lorry at around 7:00 a.m.

Five Family Members Die In Nakuru-Nairobi Highway Accident
The accident along the Nairobi-Nakuru Highway on August 13. /PHOTO

A woman and her four sons were on Tuesday, August 13 killed in a road accident in the Mbaruk area of the Nakuru-Nairobi highway in Gilgil.

The victims lost their lives after a Mercedes Benz they were travelling in collided head-on with a lorry at around 7:00 a.m. The car had six occupants, including the driver, the woman, and the four children.

Gilgil area Sub-County Police Commander, Jamlek Ngaruiya confirmed the incident but reported that the Mercedes Benz was overtaking in the wrong lane, leading to the fatal collision.

"The woman and her children died instantly at the scene," stated Ngaruiya, adding "The driver of the Mercedes, identified as Ambani, was rushed to St Joseph Hospital and is currently receiving treatment."

The accident along the Nairobi-Nakuru Highway on August 13. /PHOTO

He was critically injured. Christopher Ambani was driving to Nakuru, with the lorry bound for Nairobi, with the truck driver revealing that the Mercedes was travelling at high speed.

"The car was moving at such a high velocity that I had to swerve towards the roadside to avoid a direct collision," explained the driver of the truck. Despite his efforts, the Mercedes ended up in his path.

The driver expressed his condolences to the grieving family, remarking "I am deeply sorry for their loss."

The five bodies have since been moved to a morgue in Nakuru for postmortem and the vehicles have been towed to Gilgil Police Station for investigation.

The aftermath of the crash has left the Mbaruk area in mourning. Authorities are continuing their investigation into the accident to determine any further details surrounding the tragic event.

Merely hours ago, close to 20 officers from the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) were injured on Monday, August 12 following a road accident whereby a truck they were travelling in lost control at Gatithi near Kibongoti trading centre along the Sagana-Karatina highway in Kirinyaga County.

Witnesses at the scene revealed that the military truck was on its way to Sagana from Karatina when it hit a bump, lost control and rolled several times.

Statistics by the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) revealed that as of April this year, 7,198 Kenyans have been involved in road accidents, marking an increase of 1,908 compared to last year, with the authority referencing accidents from January 1 to April 1.

Among the 7,198 Kenyans, NTSA revealed that 1,189 died from road accidents, 3,316 were seriously injured and 2,693 suffered from minor injuries.

This painted a grim picture compared to the same period in 2023 where deaths from crashes stood at 1,129. Additionally, those who were seriously injured stood at 2,435, and at least 1,726 were slightly injured.

Scene of an accident involving a KDF military truck along the Sagana-Karatina highway on August 12, 2024. /PHOTO