On the afternoon of May 3, a multiple-collision accident on the Meru-Nairobi highway near Riverland, Kanyoru injured two people.
The horrific accident, which involved one lorry and at least four vehicles, including a probox and sienta, caused a severe traffic jam along the Meru-Nairobi National Highway for several kilometers.
According to witnesses, the accident was caused when a speeding stone-laden lorry slammed into vehicles already stuck in traffic.
According to another eyewitness, the speeding lorry headed straight for a head-on collision with a line of stationary vehicles due to a traffic jam.
Even as the pile-up of vehicles broke the median barricade and spilled over to the median side of the road, the lorry continued to move.
As a result of the pile-up, the area experienced a major traffic jam that lasted several hours.
Those injured in the accident included a middle-aged woman who was selling masks along the side of the road and a bodaboda rider known as rasta, who had his leg broken and suffered blood loss.
The driver said that as he drove downhill between Meru police station and Riverland, he realized it had lost its breaks.
He was on his way to Thimangiri but decided to take the Meru-Nairobi highway instead.
“Turning at the junction would have been more dangerous because there were so many people along the Meru-Mikunduri road,” he said.
“I thank God and the people for their patience and understanding. The vehicle is owned by a dam-building company in Thuura,” he said.
The Police visited the area to oversee relief works. The injured was taken to Meru level 5 hospital for treatment.
One of the eyewitnesses said: “The lorry first knocked down and broke the leg of a bodaboda rider known as rasta. He had a lot of blood loss.
“The Lorry then collided with another vehicle, knocking a woman selling masks along the side of the road to the ground.
“As the lorry approached and eventually came to a halt, men gathered large stones and placed them in front of it.”
Another eyewitness said: “Women selling on the side of the road should be relocated to a more secure location. They died in a separate incident at the same location.”
Another eyewitness said: “A construction company owned the lorry that lots its breaks. It slammed into a Sienta, Probox, and another car parked against a parking pole.”
“The women who sell groceries and other items usually arrive at the location around 5:00 p.m., by God’s grace.
“We urge the government to install speed bumps to slow traffic and prevent fatalities.
“They should also think about erecting a barrier to slow down vehicles that have lost their brakes. Riverland and Kanyoro are the areas that are considered a black spot.”
Another eyewitness said: “The first bump should be built from the offices of Meru’s county government, and the second a little further away.
“A third bump should be built at the Meru police station, and another at Mohammed Muti’s. As vehicles approach the blackspot, the momentum will be slowed because they will have engaged a low gear.”
Another eyewitness said: “We’ll call it luck because the lorry came to a halt right in front of a disabled person.
“The driver fought it and steered the wheels in the direction of the hills. From 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., people with disabilities are known to visit the area.”
