A traffic police officer was crashed to death by a speeding lorry on Thursday, July 13th, along Outering Road, Nairobi.
Buru Buru sub-county police commander, Francis Kamau confirmed the incident, stating the officer was rammed into while inspecting a car suspected of having an expired sticker.
Speaking to Kenyans.co.ke, Kamau added that the officer passed away en route to the hospital for assessment and stabilization. The truck driver was arrested to assist the police with investigations.
“The matter is under investigation, and we have ruled out prior assessment that the truck driver was drunk. This was a normal accident. Unfortunately, we lost a police officer,” Kamau lamented.
He further eulogised the officer as a diligent colleague and underlined that the case was the first to be recorded in the area.
Kamau urged motorists to drive cautiously and observe all traffic laws to avoid similar scenarios.
“I also call upon all drivers to be more careful when driving. Even though accidents sometimes happen, I would like to tell drivers to be more careful and avoid speeding. We should all work to keep our roads safe," he pleaded.
In light of the accident, the sub-county commander took decisive action to intensify the crackdown against motorists flouting traffic laws and train his officers to stay safe on the roads.
Traffic officers deployed to the accident scene towed the mangled lorry and car to the station for further assessment and to clear the traffic that was slowly building up.
They also recorded statements from eyewitnesses and urged members of the public which more information to assist the police in the investigations.
The body of the officer was ferried to a nearby morgue pending an autopsy.
According to the National Transport And Safety Authority (NTSA), 2,124 people died in road accidents from January to June 25, 2023.
The number recorded was 137, lower than 2,261 in a similar period in 2022. Pedestrians accounted for 729 fatalities, followed by motorcyclists at 561. Passengers and drivers followed with 403 and 189 deaths, respectively.
