Three people died while others sustained serious injuries in two separate accidents along Webuye–Eldoret highway in Lugari Sub County. In the first incident, two people died on the spot while the third died on the way to the hospital in an accident that involved a motorbike and a Nissan matatu near Turbo trading centre.
According to an eyewitness, the motorbike rider was ferrying two passengers from Turbo heading to Panpaper when they were hit by an overspeeding matatu as the rider tried to divert from the highway towards Forestall road.
The rider and a female passenger died on the spot while a male passenger was rescued and rushed to Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital Eldoret but he died while on the way to the hospital.
The deceased’s bodies were removed and taken to Chebaiywa mortuary in the neighbouring Uasin Gishu County.
In the second incident, more than ten people sustained serious injuries after a Nissan matatu they were travelling in was involved in an accident few meters from Mukhonje trading centre.
The matatu driver was carelessly attempting to overtake two trucks in front without seeing a cane tractor that was approaching from the opposite direction.
The driver was forced to swerve more to the right to avoid colliding head-on with the tractor but he lost control, veered off the road and the matatu rolled several times before landing in a ditch.
“We could see passengers being shoved out of the vehicle as the matatu rolled,” said some of the eyewitnesses. Over ten people were seriously injured and they were rushed to Webuye Sub County hospital.