Shattered glass and mangled vehicle parts littered the roadside, marked the scene of the notorious twin-bridge crash site in Kuresoi North along Nakuru-Eldoret highway.

A large section of a shuttle windscreen lay broken on the grass, while fragments of passengers' belongings were scattered across the shoulder and near the edge of the highway.

A section of a shuttle windscreen that lay by the roadside after a shuttle was involved in an accident along the Nakuru -Eldoret highway

Photo credit: LELETI JASSOR/ MTAA WANGU

Behind the wreckage are eight passengers now fighting to recover from an early morning crash that claimed five lives as the group travelled towards Eldoret from a police officer pass out parade at the Administration Police College in Embakasi, Nairobi.

Two patients of eight have been referred to the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital and a hospital in Elgeyo Marakwet, as per family wishes, while the rest are receiving treatment at Coptic and Nakuru Teaching and Referral Hospitals respectively.

The two were part of an early morning accident at Twin bridge in Kericho county where five people died while headed towards Eldoret.

The accident that happened at around 4 a.m. saw a vehicle belonging to Kapsowar Shuttle ram into a stationary transit good truck.

The truck that had stalled at the notorious twin-bridge crash site at around 10 p.m. after developing a mechanical problem

Photo credit: LELETI JASSOR/ MTAA WANGU

Caroline Langat, a witness, said the scene that happened outside her home happened at around 4am when she heard a loud bang. On leaving her house, she found a crowd gathered around the wreckage.

“I arrived and found the vehicle and many people gathered at the scene. Four people who were involved had died on the spot,” she said.

She told Mtaawangu that the shuttle had collided with a lorry and the driver of the former appeared to have fainted from the shock of the crash.

Caroline Langat, a witness in the early morning crash that claimed five lives that happened at the notorious twin-bridge crash site in Kuresoi North along Nakuru-Eldoret highway

Photo credit: LELETI JASSOR/ MTAA WANGU

“According to accounts of the people at the scene, the shuttle driver may have been speeding and perhaps had fallen asleep,” she said.

She called for measures to slow down motorists and improve road safety at the spot.

“The government should put rumble strips to be able to slowdown speeding vehicles alonv this road. They should also erect signages because this road is dangerous,” she said.

According to Mau Summit Base Commander Chief Inspector Willy Lagat, police were alerted about the accident at around 4:30 a.m.

Mau Summit Base Commander Chief Inspector Willy Lagat, speaks to the media

Photo credit: LELETI JASSOR/ MTAA WANGU

He said preliminary investigations pointed to speeding as a possible cause of the crash, with police also establishing that the transit goods lorry had stopped at the scene at around 10 p.m. after developing a mechanical problem.

The injured passengers were rescued and taken to Londiani Sub County Hospital for treatment before some were referred to other facilities.

Chief Inspector Lagat said the section of the highway had been classified as a black spot due to the frequent accidents reported there.

Mau Summit police officer collects belongings of the deceased and survivors in the vehicle belonging to Kapsowar Shuttle that rammed into a stationary transit good vehicle and killed five.

Photo credit: LELETI JASSOR/ MTAA WANGU

“Unfortunately, despite talking to motorists and urging them to observe traffic rules, some do not adhere to them,” he said.

“We urge motorists to exercise a lot of care while driving,” he added.

Mau Summit residents demand safety barriers at Twin Bridge section after dawn crash claims five lives

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Leleti Jassor