Three teenagers killed in boda boda accident on Sagana-Nyeri road
An accident scene.
Three families have been thrown into mourning after three teenagers, including a secondary school student, were killed when a motorcycle they were riding collided with a truck on Sagana-Nyeri road in Kirinyaga County.
The three succumbed to their injuries shortly after the accident, which occurred in Kibingoti village in Ndia Constituency on Sunday night.
Witnesses said the teenagers, aged between fifteen and seventeen, were travelling from Sagana to Karatina when the truck hit them from behind.
They suffered multiple fractures and were rushed to Karatina Hospital, where they died as they received treatment.
The three have been identified as Alex Muriithi, John Macharia and David Muchiri.
According to relatives, Muriithi and Muchiri sat their Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) exams last year and were expected to join college while Macharia was in Form Three.
Their lives were cut short before they could realise their academic dreams.
The bodies of the victims now lie in the mortuary awaiting post-mortem examination.
Kirinyaga West sub-County police boss Moses Koskei said investigations have been launched to establish the actual circumstances that led to the accident, which caused a major traffic jam in the area.
He said it was unfortunate that young lives were lost in an accident that could have been avoided.
"We have commenced investigations to establish the truth of the matter," he said.
Mr Koskei, however, advised motorists and boda boda riders to be careful when plying the route to avoid such fatal accidents.
He said the driver of the truck had been arrested and was being held for questioning.
The accident comes barely two weeks after another in which three secondary school students died in the Gatugura area in Gichugu Constituency after a motorcycle they were riding collided with a lorry.
Two of the students were in Grade 9, while the other was in Form 2.
They were buried in Kairegi village last week.
Mr Koskei advised parents to stop allowing their children to ride motorcycles to protect their lives.
"Children are not trained, and therefore, they should not be allowed to ride motorcycles," said Mr Koskei.
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