Two people were on the morning of Friday, September 20 killed and several others were injured in the Dundori area, Nakuru County following an accident involving a lorry which was ferrying logs of wood.
In the incident, the lorry reportedly lost control before veering off the road, knocking pedestrians. Images seen by Viral Tea showed the lorry, white in colour, having overturned on the roadside on its right-hand side after it landed into a ditch.
During the mid-morning incident, several people sustained injuries even as locals rushed to the scene to rescue those who had been trapped under the wreckage.
Image of a sign showing an accident scene. /FILE
Similarly, the white lorry was captured having overturned by the roadside with its windscreen completely shattered, signifying the severe nature of the accident. Moments after, police officers arrived at the scene and cordoned it off.
Meanwhile, the injured persons were rushed to nearby hospitals while the deceased persons’ bodies were transported to the mortuary.
This accident now adds to the increase in road accidents involving pedestrians, signifying the high risk that comes with using the roads in the country mainly to cross them to get to the other side.
As of August 28, 2024, 1,177 pedestrians have perished in traffic accidents in 2024 so far, an increase from 1,044 during the same period in 2023, per data from the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA), showing just how using Kenyan roads as a pedestrian exposes one to dangerous occurrences more than even motorcyclists, who fall second in the fatality list.
On Sunday, September 8, a passenger bus overturned along Thika Road at the Roysambu roundabout in Nairobi, leaving several injured.
Reports indicated that the bus driver was trying to avoid hitting a pedestrian who was crossing the service lane, resulting in the crash.
“Nairobi County had the highest number of pedestrian deaths (251). This is 58 per cent of the total fatalities that have occurred within the county. Kiambu was the second leading with 205 fatalities,” said NTSA in its report.
Poor road design, distracted behaviour, and crossing in non-designated areas have been blamed as the main causes of pedestrian deaths.
In total, NTSA recorded 3,056 deaths from 7,114 accidents in 2024 so far, an increase from 2,910 deaths from 6,411 accidents in this period in 2023, raising concerns in terms of what is done to curb the rise in road accidents. 15,651 victims have been involved in road accidents this year compared to 14,745 last year.
Traffic accidents are most prevalent on weekends, with Sunday recording the highest number of fatalities. There have been concerns about how motorists have been complying with traffic rules, with the worst accident witnessed during the past month blamed on driver negligence.
Accident scene along Thika Road at Roysambu roundabout on September 8, 2024. /VIRAL TEA KE
