A freak road accident on Monday claimed the life of a 28-year-old woman after her car hit an elephant at Kithoka area on the Meru-Ruiri road.
According to witnesses, the accident involved two cars and occurred after the elephant which was part of a herd of about six emerged from roadside bushes and stood still in the middle of the road.
The driver of the first car reportedly swerved to avoid hitting the elephant but the Jumbo moved and was hit on the legs, causing the vehicle to roll.
The second car, a Toyota Probox, hit the elephant and broke its leg. As a result, the injured elephant trampled the left side of the vehicle, killing Ms Jackline Mwendwa Mwebia.
The crash also left one Ms Josephine Kiogora and two others with slight injuries.
“The elephant sat on the vehicle and completely damaged it. This is not a case of careless driving but failure by Kenya Wildlife Service to restrain the elephants,” said Mr Cyrus Muriira, one of the people who rushed to the scene to rescue the injured.
A taxi driver in the area, Mr Silas Mugambi said locals resolved to clear the bushes near the road.
“You cannot see anything approaching the road since it’s dark and the area is bushy. The relevant authorities have neglected the road,” he said.
