Driver dies, three injured after car crash in Lamu

A man died on the spot Sunday while three others were critically injured after a car they were travelling in rolled several times near Gulf Petrol Station on the Hindi-Mokowe road in Lamu County.

Mr Yusuf Abdisaman, 31, who was driving the car, died after it veered off the road, rolled and killed him instantly.

According to eyewitnesses, the car was heading to Mokowe from Hindi town when it developed mechanical problems which forced the diver to apply emergency brakes, resulting in the fatal crash.

SPEEDING

“The car had four occupants and was being driven at high speed. There was a problem with the steering wheel which forced the driver to apply emergency brakes. The vehicle veered off the road and rolled several times killing the driver instantly and leaving the other three nursing serious injuries,” said Mr Omar Abdalla.

Lamu County Commissioner Joseph Kanyiri confirmed the incident, saying that the survivors were taken to the Lamu King Fahad County Hospital.

Mr Kanyiri gave a stern warning to all road users to be extra careful especially during this rainy season when most roads are very slippery.

“Most sections of our roads are slippery especially during this rainy season. I am urging motorists to be careful when operating on these roads to avoid deaths,” he said.

ROAD CRASHES

Road crashes are not a new phenomenon in Lamu.

In March this year, nine people were injured after a bus belonging to the Simba Coach Company veered off the road and rolled in Koreni on the Lamu-Mombasa highway.

The accident was caused by a breakdown of the front leaf spring of the vehicle, which made it lose balance.

In November 2018, four people were injured after a Tawakal bus heading to Lamu from Mombasa with 47 passengers on board rolled at Katsaka Kairu in Witu.

In October 2018, five people were injured when a Simba Coach bus heading to Nairobi from Mpeketoni with 50 on board collided head-on with a lorry within Witu.

Residents have been complaining about the poor state of the Lamu-Garsen road which is believed to greatly contribute to the many crashes witnessed along the road.

The 135 kilometre road is already under construction by the national government at a cost of Sh10.8 billion.