Five family members yesterday died on the spot in a road crash involving a personal car and a truck at Laikipia University in Mbaruk area along the busy Nakuru-Nairobi Highway.

Among the dead was a mother and her four children who included one set of twins.

Gilgil Sub-County Police Commander, Jamleck Ngaruiya said the family patriarch, identified as Christopher Ambani, who was driving the ill-fated car, was rushed to the nearby St Joseph Hospital in critical condition.

He said the accident occurred at about 7:00am as Ambani, who was driving from Nakuru town towards Gilgil was trying to overtake, only to collide head on with an oncoming trailer.

“The Mercedes Compressor collided head on with a long-distance truck which was travelling in the opposite direction,” said Ngaruiya.

The road section stretching all the way to Gilgil, Kikopey, Elmentaita, Mbaruk and Barnabas is a black sport which records numerous accidents daily.

In early 2017, more than 20 people perished in a single accident when a Public Service bus collided head on with a truck less that a kilometre from the scene of today’s accident.

On Monday evening, two people, a boda boda motorbike rider and his passenger died on the spot at Umash Funeral Home along the same stretch. Ngaruiya said the five bodies were removed to Gilgil Sub-County Hospital Mortuary while the mangled vehicles were towed to Gilgil Police Station.