A 62-year-old woman has died following a tragic road accident at Makele Shopping Centre in Ikanga Location, Kitui South Constituency, along the busy Kitui–Kibwezi Road.
According to verified reports, the elderly woman was attempting to cross the road when she was knocked down by an overspeeding motor vehicle. Witnesses said the vehicle lost control after brake failure, veered off the road at the unmarked highway crossover, and struck the woman.
The incident occurred at a section of the highway that residents describe as a notorious black spot, frequently used by pedestrians, boda boda riders, and motorists accessing the shopping centre.
Following the accident, the driver fled the scene after an irate mob gathered and attempted to set the vehicle on fire and rough him up.
Police officers from Ikanga Police Station were swiftly called to the scene, where they calmed the situation and towed the vehicle to the station for investigations.
The victim remains thave since been moved to Kitui Funeral Home Hospital.
The tragic incident has once again sparked renewed calls for the Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) to urgently install a flyover or pedestrian crossing at Makele Shopping Centre to enhance road safety and prevent further loss of lives.
Residents say the lack of proper road markings, crossings, and traffic calming measures continues to put pedestrians at risk along the Kitui–Kibwezi Road.
Police have launched investigations into the accident as the search for the driver continues.
