Witnesses on Tuesday, May 16, recounted what transpired before the accident where a truck carrying gumboots veered off Nyamasaria overpass in Kachok, Kisumu County, and landed on top of a tuk-tuk on the lower road.
Speaking to the media, Samuel Odera, a taxi driver driving a few metres behind the trailer, intimated that the motorist tried to negotiate a sharp bend at high speed but ended up losing control.
Odera noted that the flyover was perceived as a blackspot for vehicles that try to negotiate the bend at high speed.
"It seems the driver lost control while trying to negotiate the bend. The flyover has a sharp corner so if you aren't careful, you will land under," he stated.
Further, Amos Ojwang, a saloon car driver who witnessed the crash, noted that the truck en route to Kondele veered off the overpass at around 5:30 pm.
Shortly after the accident, nearby residents rushed to the scene to loot the gumboots from the trailer leading to a chaotic scene.
Officers drawn from Kasagam Police Station were dispatched to the scene to restore order but were forced to lob teargas canisters to prevent the looting of the goods.
After an hour of attempting to calm the situation, a rescue team embarked on removing the bodies from beneath the wrecked vehicle.
While condemning the incident, Kisumu Governor Anyang' Nyong'o urged the Ministry of Transport to find a lasting solution to curb the numerous accidents witnessed at the flyover.
“I ask the police and the Ministry of Transport to find a lasting solution to frequent deadly accidents on the Nyamasaria flyover, even if it means barring lorries weighing more than 10 tons from using the flyover,” he indicated.
According to the latest data from the National Safety and Transport Authority (NTSA), fatalities recorded between January 1, 2022, and December 2022, increased to 4,432 from 4,271 recorded in the same period in 2021.
NTSA noted that road safety measures such as sensitisation of drivers and passengers while at the same time incorporating road safety in the school-based curriculum.
