Car Bursts Into Flames After Horror Collision with Trailer on Busy Nairobi-Mombasa Highway
A private motorist escaped death by a whisker on Sunday morning after his vehicle burst into flames following a collision with a trailer along the busy Nairobi-Mombasa highway near Athi River.
The dramatic incident occurred on May 10 at around 7:15am near the Athi River Bridge close to Crystal Rivers Estate and the Devki area, causing panic among motorists and drawing large crowds as flames engulfed the vehicle within minutes.
According to police, the accident involved a Volkswagen Golf which reportedly rammed into the rear of a Mercedes Actros trailer that was travelling in the same direction toward Mombasa.
Confirming the incident, Athi River East Subcounty Police Commander Anderson Mbae said emergency teams responded swiftly after receiving reports of the fiery crash.
“The accident happened at about 7:15am at the Athi River Bridge along Nairobi-Mombasa Highway near Crystal Rivers Estate involving a Volkswagen Golf and a Mercedes Actros trailer,” Mbae stated.
Videos seen by Kenyans.co.ke captured frantic efforts by witnesses attempting to extinguish the inferno before firefighters arrived at the scene.
In the footage, thick smoke billowed into the sky as flames rapidly consumed the car, with firefighters later deploying high-pressure water hoses to contain the blaze along the heavily used highway.
Traffic slowly built up around the affected section as motorists reduced speed to observe the scene, while police officers worked to restore normal flow.
Despite the intensity of the fire, authorities confirmed that no fatalities were recorded during the incident, although the private vehicle was extensively damaged.
The latest accident adds to growing concerns over the increasing number of deadly crashes and tanker-related infernos along the Nairobi-Mombasa highway this year.
On March 2, three people were killed after a fuel tanker collided head-on with a container trailer near Green Park along the Athi River–Mtito Andei corridor, triggering a traffic snarl-up stretching nearly five kilometres.
In another incident a day earlier, an LPG tanker collided with a container truck near Chyulu Hills, sparking a massive explosion that killed two drivers instantly and forced police to divert motorists through the Loitoktok-Taveta route.
Earlier in January, a petrol tanker exploded near the Swaminarayan Tunnel on the Southern Bypass, killing one person and destroying at least five vehicles in a fiery crash that paralysed transport for hours.
The string of incidents has renewed calls for stricter highway safety enforcement, particularly involving heavy commercial vehicles operating along Kenya’s busiest transport corridor.
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