A family of five narrowly escaped death along Embu-Meru Highway after the car they were travelling in veered off the road and subsequently burst into flames.
The grue gruesome accident occurred at a notorious black spot at the Mufu Junction on Tuesday morning, June 27.
Eyewitnesses rushed to the site to extinguish the fire and rescue the family, who were rushed to Kyeni Mission Hospital for immediate medical assessment and treatment.
An eyewitness attributed the accident to the slippery road conditions caused by ongoing rains, forcing the car to skid off the road, causing a near-fatal crash.
One of the first responders to the scene noted that the occupants were momentarily trapped in the car. However, the residents' swift intervention averted the danger as they were pulled out before the vehicle caught fire.
"We rushed to the accident scene immediately and used water to put out the fire and rescued the trapped passengers," the witness explained while speaking to the press.
Another first responder speaking to the press added that the rescued family members appeared to have sustained minor injuries at the time of their rescue.
The witness also implored motorists traversing the busy highway to exercise utmost caution as the escalating number of road accidents was alarming.
A private crane services company, alongside other road users, towed the wreckage from the road to ease traffic which was congested.
NTSA statistics
In related news, the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) on June 2023, noted that the country recorded fewer accidents in the first six months of 2023 as compared to a similar period in 2022.
1,679 fatalities were recorded between January and June 2023, a four per cent drop attributed to the installation of warning signs at blackspots.
