James Wegesa was expecting his wife, Karen Lore, 52, to arrive home in Nairobi on Sunday night after travelling from Kisumu County.
Instead, Monday morning brought devastating news after James called Karen’s phone to find out why she had not arrived.
Karen was travelling with their three-year-old daughter, Grace Wegesa, alongside relatives after attending the burial of her mother in Seme, Kisumu County.
According to The Standard, James called Karen on Monday morning after she failed to reach their Nairobi home as expected. However, a police officer answered the phone and informed him that the vehicle she was travelling in had been involved in a serious road accident.
The officer directed James to Gilgil Police Station, where he went hoping to establish what had happened to his family.
At the station, James was confronted with the devastating reality. He found the wreckage of the Toyota IST that had been carrying Karen, Grace and their relatives.
Five members of the family died in the accident, which occurred at Kikopey along the Nakuru-Nairobi Highway shortly after midnight on Monday.
The other victims were identified as Peter Olang, 43, his wife Rosebenta Aoko, 35, and their two-year-old daughter, Neville Olang.
Calvin Raila, 20, was the only survivor in the Toyota IST. He sustained serious injuries and was taken to Nakuru Level V Hospital, also known as PGH, for treatment.
The family had travelled to Seme for the burial of Karen’s mother, which was held on September 5. James reportedly returned to Nairobi a day after the burial, while Karen and the other family members remained in Kisumu before starting their journey back on Sunday.
James, who has more than 30 years of driving experience, expressed concerns about the circumstances surrounding the crash. He blamed careless overtaking and alleged that the bus involved crossed a continuous yellow line.
Police said a preliminary investigation showed that an Easy Coach bus was allegedly travelling at high speed while overtaking several vehicles before colliding head-on with the Toyota IST.
Gilgil Sub-County Police Commander Wilstone Mwakio said the bus was allegedly overtaking unlawfully along a climbing lane when the collision occurred.
An Easy Coach passenger, Amos Kundu, also claimed that some passengers had expressed concerns about the driver’s speed and manner of driving before the crash.
The five bodies were taken to PNN Funeral Home as investigations continued and arrangements for post-mortem examinations were made.
For James, what began as a simple Monday morning phone call to check on his wife turned into the moment he learnt that he had lost his wife, young daughter and close relatives in a devastating road crash.