Several students from various secondary schools who were returning to school after the August holiday were injured after a Nissan Matatu they were travelling in was involved in an accident at Kipkaren market along Eldoret – Webuye highway at the border of Kakamega and Uasin Gishu Counties.
According to eyewitnesses, the accident occurred after the driver of the Matatu which was overloaded with students and over speeding from Eldoret towards Webuye lost control and rammed into a truck that was in front.
“The driver was over speeding and tried carelessly to overtake the truck that was in front at the bridge without seeing another vehicle that was approaching from the opposite direction, when he swerved back to his lane he lost control and rammed into the truck,” said Bram Jack, a resident of Kipkaren.
His sentiments were echoed by Silus Nyongesa and Doris Imboywa adding that the Matatu driver was driving under the influence of alcohol.
“In fact he was drinking while driving, there’s a bottle with alcohol inside the vehicle on the driver’s side,” they said wondering how the driver managed to pass police roadblocks along the highway while drunk and overloaded.
Several students sustained fractures before they were rescued and rushed to various health facilities within the area.
The locals have appealed to drivers to adhere to the traffic rules to prevent unnecessary accidents.
Like in this case this accident could have been avoided, but the driver didn’t observe the yellow line, he just carelessly crossed over it to the other lane and without keeping the required distance between him and the truck. Worst of all he was doing this while drunk and overloaded,” said Silus Nyongesa who is also a driver.
The Matatu was towed to Lumakanda police station in Lugari Sub County as the traffic department launched investigations into the incident.
