A lorry ferrying bags of maize along the Nairobi-Mombasa Highway on Friday, January 3, 2020, was involved in an accident that led to a stampede.
Speaking to Daily Nation, Rabai Sub-county Police Commander Fredrick Abuga revealed that the accident that occurred in Bonje area, Kilifi County was caused by reckless driving.
"The driver lost control of the vehicle. This area has a very sharp corner leading to several accidents at the same spot," he narrated.
Residents of the small town soon got wind of the accident and swarmed to the scene armed with sacks and containers to collect the maize which was scattered by the roadside.
The local authorities, including the sub-county commander, could do little to prevent the melee of people that trooped to the blackspot in droves.
"We have marked this area as a black spot and I urge all drivers to be very cautious when driving along this area of the highway," officer Abuga cautioned.
He went on to reveal that a boda boda rider and his passenger were involved in a fatal accident earlier that day after a tour bus ran them over as they attempted to join the highway from a petrol station.
The bodies of the deceased were ferried to Coast General Hospital.
Officer Abuga reiterated the need for motorists to exercise caution, especially in areas explicitly marked as blackspots.
Here's a video of Kilifi residents scrambling for maize:
