A major traffic disruption was witnessed along Nairobi’s busy Waiyaki Way on Tuesday afternoon after a lorry overturned near the Brookside Drive junction, just before reaching the Westlands roundabout, close to The Mall.
The overturned truck completely blocked several lanes on the city-bound side of the road, bringing traffic to a standstill in that section.
The incident caused a severe traffic jam that stretched for several kilometres, leaving many motorists stranded. Drivers were left with no choice but to seek alternative routes to escape the gridlock.
Many diverted through Muthangari Drive, Brookside Drive, and Karuna Close in an attempt to rejoin Waiyaki Way past the accident scene while the authorities worked to clear the wreckage.
So far, there have been no confirmed fatalities from the accident. However, the condition of the lorry driver remains unknown as officials have not yet released any updates about his health.
Eyewitnesses reported that the lorry was transporting sacks of chicken feed when the crash occurred. It is believed that another truck, which was carrying sand and speeding downhill towards Westlands, collided with it, causing the lorry to overturn.
Emergency responders, including traffic police, arrived at the scene swiftly and were still working to remove the overturned truck as of 3:00 p.m. Efforts were ongoing to restore normal traffic flow along the affected stretch.
This is not the first time Waiyaki Way has witnessed such incidents. On March 4, 2024, a similar situation occurred in the same area when a lorry crashed into a traffic island that separates the dual carriageway.
That lorry, which was transporting construction workers from Westlands to Kangemi, lost control near the Nairobi Expressway exit and hit the road barrier. The accident left several people injured after the vehicle overturned.
In a separate tragic accident that happened just weeks ago along the Mombasa-Nairobi Highway in the Kiongwani area of Makueni County, two people lost their lives and three others were seriously injured.
The fatal crash involved a pickup transporting avocados to Nairobi and a fuel tanker coming from the opposite direction. The two vehicles reportedly collided head-on, killing two passengers on the spot.
Both the drivers of the pickup and the tanker sustained serious injuries and were initially taken to Sultan Hamud Sub-County Hospital before being referred to Makindu Level 5 Hospital for specialized treatment.
These incidents highlight the need for caution and stricter enforcement of traffic regulations to reduce the rising number of road accidents in the country.
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