At least 14 people have been confirmed dead following a grisly road accident on Monday night along the Webuye-Kitale highway.
Police said 16 others sustained serious injuries following the Monday 8pm accident at Malaha trading centre some two kilometers from Webuye town.
According to Webuye police boss Rosemary Odeke the accident involved motorcycles, public and passenger vehicles and a transit trailer which rammed into curious members of the public who had assembled at the scene.
“Two motorcycles, which were heading to different directions, collided head-on resulting in the death of the two riders. The accident attracted curious villagers who rushed to the scene. They were however crashed after a trailer driver reportedly lost control of his vehicle while descending a section of the highway,” Ms Odeke told the Daily Nation on phone.
She said the trailer hit motorcycles and other vehicles before ramming into the crowd.
“At least 10 people, including the two motorcyclists, died on the spot while four others died while they were being rushed to Webuye Sub-County Hospital,” Ms Odeke said.
She further said 16 people who sustained serious injuries were admitted at Webuye Sub-County Hospital where they are receiving treatment.
“The driver of the trailer fled scene following the grisly accident and his whereabouts remain unknown,” said Ms Odeke.
The bodies of the deceased were taken to Webuye sub-County Hospital mortuary while the wreckage of the trailer was towed to the Webuye weighbridge.
The Webuye-Kitale road links the Eldoret-Malaba highway and us notorious for fatal crashes blamed on speeding and dangerous overtaking by motorists.
“There is need for motorists to exercise extra caution while driving along the highway and adhere to traffic regulations to curb the rising number of road carnage,” Ms Odeke said.
Following the accident relatives rushed to the hospital to confirm the deaths and check on the conditions of the injured.
“My sister-in-law is among those were crashed by the trailer after rushing to scene following the motorcycles collison,” said one area resident at the hospital.
Residents described the accident scene as a blackspot and called on the government to erect bumps to help curb road carnages.
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