A driverless truck on Saturday, March 11, descended down a slope and plunged into Kakamega County Government offices in Kakamega town hitting two vehicles.
The vehicle had the branding of a popular retail chain in the country carrying goods for stocking in a nearby store.
CCTV footage obtained from the scene showed the trailer gradually crossing the four-lane Webuye-Kisumu Highway and heading straight toward the opposite side of the road.
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In the video, a boda boda rider who had parked in front of the trailer and two matatus escaped the trailer by a whisker as it rolled downwards without anyone to steer it from causing danger.
Meanwhile, the driver of the truck followed the truck attempting to catch up albeit too late to prevent the damage.
The 22-wheeler knocked down the perimeter wall of the Kakamega County Government Headquarters and hit two vehicles - a double cabin pick-up and saloon car- parked outside the man building.
The cause of the accident was yet to be established with reports pointing to the possibility of a failed or faulty handbrake. No casualties were reported from the scene.
A faulty handbrake reduces the braking efficiency of a vehicle and has in the past been ranked as a leading cause of such accidents.
Whilst some cases are detectable, the possibility of experiencing an unprecedented handbrake failure cannot be ruled out.
According to the driving regulations applied in Kenya, drivers should exercise precaution while parking downhill slope by ensuring that the vehicle's front wheels face the curb.
Similarly, the front wheels should always face away from the curb while parking uphill.
This way, the driver is assured that the vehicle would eventually be stopped by the curb hence preventing risks of damage and accidents in cases of brake failure.
