A school principal, his wife, and their two children lost their lives in a fatal road accident in Matuga, Kwale County.
The victims have been identified as Alice Veronica, 17, Mathew Louis, 10, and Andrian Patrick Jeans. The devastating crash involved a Nissan matatu and a car en route to Matuga.
Eyewitness accounts suggest that the matatu driver lost control, colliding with the oncoming car at a high speed.
The aftermath was catastrophic, claiming the lives of the entire family except for Patrick Nicolas, who sustained severe injuries. He was promptly rushed to Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital in Voi for emergency treatment.
The Star Kenya Newspaper reported the incident on Twitter, highlighting Patrick Nicolas’s critical condition.
The post conveyed, “Patrick Nicolas is the one who suffered severe injuries. He was rushed to Moi referral hospital in Voi for treatment.”
Meanwhile, the police moved the deceased bodies to the same hospital’s morgue.
This tragic event unfolded on a highway notorious for fatal accidents, with a documented history of claiming nearly 3000 lives annually, according to available data.
The recurring road mishaps have raised concerns among locals, prompting authorities to revisit safety measures on this hazardous stretch.
The Matuga accident follows closely on the heels of another tragedy just a week prior, where 20 lives were lost in a road crash at Taru on the Mombasa-Nairobi Road in Samburu.
The frequency of such incidents shows the urgent need for comprehensive road safety initiatives to prevent further loss of lives.
As Matuga grapples with grief and loss, communities are calling for increased road safety measures to address the recurring accidents that have plagued this highway.
The untimely demise of the school principal’s family serves as a somber reminder of the fragility of life and the imperative for concerted efforts to enhance road safety across the region.
By Citizen