7 people critically injured in Blue Post crash.

The scene near Blue Post Hotel immediately after the accident happened. 

Seven people were critically injured after a 33-seater bus rammed onto a lorry near Blue Post Hotel along the Nairobi-Nyeri Highway.

According to an eyewitness account, the collision happened around 5 p.m. when the driver of the bus belonging to Damacom Bus Company was unable to avoid the lorry after the lorry suddenly applied emergency brakes due to some sudden obstruction by a breakdown that was attempting to tow another truck that had lost control and landed into a ditch.

“The accident can be blamed on a breakdown that was trying to tow that truck over there. The driver of the breakdown hadn’t put any warning sign and when it suddenly drove onto the road, the driver of this lorry applied immediate brakes to avoid crashing onto the two vehicles,” explained our source.

It is said that the bus that was heading to Ekalakala in Machakos County, was overspeeding and when it was obstructed, the driver had no option but to ram onto the second lorry from the rear.

Our source told us that immediately the accident happened, the driver of the breakdown speed off after realising what had happened.

The impact of the crash extensively wrecked the bus’ cabin, trapping the driver and the other two passengers into the wreckage. The driver’s legs and hands were smashed, making it impossible for him to control the bus.

The bus started rolling backwards towards the Chania Bridge and by God’s grace it got trapped by the gourd posts just a few metres from plunging all its passengers into the river.

It took the intervention of good Samaritans who rushed to the scene and used metal bars to rescue the driver and the two passengers who had been trapped inside the cabin.

By the time our crew arrived at the scene, the Thika Branch Red Cross and the Thika Fire and Rescue teams were assisting in rushing the injured to nearby hospitals via waiting vans and ambulances.

No one of the crew in the lorry was injured.

The truck that had earlier landed into a ditch, consequently causing the second accident as a breakdown attempted to tow it.

The accident occurred on the same spot where four pupils from Moi Primary school Thika died after a truck carrying sand hit the matatu they were traveling in from behind in 2005.

The accident caused a heavy traffic snarl up from both sides with Nairobi bound vehicles stretching all the way to Kenol Trading Centre in Murang’a County while those heading to Nyeri had vehicles going all the way to Witeithie in Juja Sub-County.

Consequently, Thika Town was completely locked out with no movement either to or from the town.

Apparently, the cause of the accident can be blamed on the perennial traffic gridlocks in Thika especially along Garissa Highway.

This bus, which was heading to Ukambani area, was trying to avoid the jam along Garissa Highway by using the Del Monte Makongeni route to join the highway at Gachagi area near Kivulini. This is because of the jam near Gatitu junction and another one in Makongeni area.

By the time we went to press, police from both Thika and Murang’a were busy attempting to unlock the traffic that had virtually paralysed all activities in the environs.