Lorry accident leads to the unthinkable when it flips the lives of Busia’s roadside vendors upside down.
Surviving the wreck, the driver seems to simply have vanished in thin air. He is still out there and has the potential to kill again.
The deadly accident left seven people dead and 14 others fighting for their lives in Webuye Sub County Hospital. This happened along the busy Eldoret – Webuye highway.
The lorry was carrying building materials heading to Webuye. It rammed into parked passenger vehicles and traders selling goods along the highway.
Eye witnesses say that the driver escaped as the lorry started rolling.
The lorry lost control and veered off the road, crashing vendors selling products along the roadside. The driver of the lorry has left behind a trail of death.
James Ngetich, Kakamega County Deputy Police Chief
The police have started inquiries into what prompted the lorry driver to lose control of the vehicle.
Eye Witnesses Accounts
The lorry driver who fled after the crash lost control of the lorry, sending it downhill before ramming into the roadside stalls and parked cars, according to eye-witnesses.
Esther Khavakali broke down crying after she learnt of her husband’s demise in the road accident at Kaburengu.
The husband, Geoffrey Kubasali is among those who died. Kubasali was the only breadwinner in the family who worked as a tout.
On that fateful day, he left early in the morning for the Kaburengu bus stop, about 200 meters away. He had told his wife that he would come back with a packet or two of milk.
Khavakali, who is 35, didn’t realise it will be her last talk with her husband.
He left home around 8 a.m. And it would be the last time we’ve talked, “a frustrated Khavakali
Khavakali
Accident Screams Rent The Air
We first heard people yell, then we saw the lorry moving at a very high speed. It smashed three people for the first time, and knocked the others as they tried to escape. A child died while her mother survived after she fell into a shallow ditch.
Shikuku,Resident
The woman is identified as Evelyn Wekesa. The mother of six tried to run, but it was too late.
Many of the deceased persons in this accident are poor women, mainly single moms.They sold food items at the junction to feed their families.
The wounded are undergoing treatment at Webuye Subcounty Hospital in the nearby Bungoma County.
Area MP
Ayub Savula has sent his condolences to the bereaved families.
I am so distressed by the demise of poor women who strive on their own to put food on the table. May their innocent souls rest in everlasting peace
Ayub Savula,MP
The Kaburengu intersection is associated with disastrous accidents. It has claimed so many lives over the years in which the construction of a bridge is yet to be completed.
An estimated 3,000 Kenyans die in road accident related events every year despite concerted attempts by the state and private sector to promote safety on the highways.
Road Accidents Statistics
A year, 3000 to 13 000 Kenyans lose their lives in road traffic accident scenes. Many of these people are vulnerable users of the road mainly pedestrians, motorcyclists and cyclists.
More than 75 per cent of road traffic deaths are young people with economic productivity.
The most affected are pedestrians and passengers; they account for 80 per cent of deaths. The vehicles most commonly involved in fatal accident are buses and matatus.
More road accidents occurred this year compared to the same time last year, according to a study by the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA).
The most common groups of casualties are pedestrians. At least 249 deaths have been reported this year compared to the last year when 200 lost their lives.
The number of dead drivers also decreased by 36% in 2020 compared to the first three months of last year.
Boda Boda Accident Top The List
Hypnotized as a viable income-generating enterprise for youth, the boda boda sector is becoming a source of suffering, economic pressures, psychosocial pain.
Boda boda injuries result from competition for passengers with other public transport operators (83 per cent), neglect of road safety laws (78 per cent) and insufficient use of helmets (62 per cent).
Accident scenes involving boda boda are linked to lack of road safety awareness and disruptive attitudes. More causes include negligence, lawlessness, decentralization of traffic police duties, unchecked boda bodas, drug and alcohol misuse.
Boda boda operators flout traffic laws with impunity, leading to needless yet fatal accidents.
Enforcement needs to concentrate on this sector in order to put an end to this tragic road accidents synonymous with boda boda operators.
The boda boda industry estimates to provide a source of employment to 1.2 million youth.
Boda boda operators often use wrong lanes. They make U-turns in unknown places, do not follow traffic lights and pedestrian signals, run along pavements and never use protective equipment.
Most orthopaedic wards in hospitals are overflowing with victims of boda boda related accidents.
The Rest Of The World
Road accidents and associated injuries are a significant cause of death and injury worldwide.
Each year it is estimated that 23-34 million people get injured in road accidents. A total of 1.24 million are killed. This makes road accidents the ninth-ranked cause of death in the world, and the number is expected to increase. Many of the deaths occur in developing nations.
The cost to the economy and families of accident victims is immense.