Wahome Gakuru's Driver Reveals 1 Mistake He Made Before Tragic Accident

The driver to the late Nyeri Governor Wahome Gakuru has finally opened up on the events that led to the tragic road accident that claimed the Governor's life on November 7.

Mr Samuel Kinyanjui recalled that his mistake was stepping on the accelerator pedal instead of braking in a moment of panic as he tried to avoid colliding with other cars.

"We were late but the governor told me not to speed because it was raining and the road was slippery. I was driving at a speed of around 105 and 110 kilometres per hour when one of the rear tyres burst.

"...but as I slowed down and was steering the vehicle to the side, I realised that a lorry which was behind me was approaching at a high speed. I had to swerve suddenly to avoid the lorry which was trying to overtake me," he recounted.

[caption caption="Nyeri Governor's bangled car"][/caption]

Mr Kinyanjui went on to narrate that he deliberately choose to hit the guardrail to give way to the fast-approaching lorry.

"I thought if I hit the guardrail the car would stop. I feared that if the lorry hit me from the rear, it would push us into the middle of the road and cause a bad accident between multiple cars.

"The impact with the guardrail forced my airbag to deploy. That's when I hit the accelerator pedal because the airbag blocked my view. I don’t understand how the guardrail got into the car," he recounted.

The Standard reports that the front wheel of the Mercedes E250 was forced off its axle by the impact of the accelerating vehicle and thus the guardrail penetrated the body of the car.

Mr Kinyanjui recalls hearing the Governor gasp "God!" as soon as the guardrail forced its way through the car, pinning him to his seat.

"The seat was stuck, we tried even breaking the window so that we could get him out but we were only able to do that when a lorry stopped and gave us a rope that we used to tie to the seat and rip it off," Kinyanjui elaborated.

[caption caption="File image of the departed Nyeri Governor Wahome Gakuru"][/caption]

Peter Mwaniki, the driver in the police chase car assigned to the Nyeri Governor, reiterated the statement explaining his efforts as soon as he arrived at the scene.

"The driver's foot was still on the accelerator and he was stuck in his seat. I opened the door for the driver but he could not get out as he was trapped. The governor too was trapped.

"We first rushed the bodyguard and the PA to Thika Level Five hospital. The driver joined them 40 minutes later," he explained.

Mr Kinyanjui added that he watched the departed Governor groan in pain, stuck to his seat and bleeding for about 40 minutes before he was rescued.

"I have been working with the county for four years," Kinyanjui stated adding that he had, however, only chauffeured Governor Gakuru for barely two weeks.

The driver asserted that the car was in perfect condition and is the same one which was used by former Governor Samuel Wamathai and the late Nderitu Gachagua.

[caption caption="Dr Wahome Gakuru's wife, Catherine (right) arriving at the Lee Funeral Home on November 7"][/caption]

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