A tragic evening rush hour on the Nakuru-Nairobi highway has claimed the life of a senior police officer. The multi-vehicle crash on Monday at around 4:50 PM involved nine vehicles.
County Criminal Investigations Officer (CCIO) for Nyandarua, Senior Superintendent of Police John Rioba, was fatally injured.
According to police from Naivasha police station, the crash was triggered by a lorry heading towards Nakuru. The driver reportedly lost control of the vehicle and rammed into a Toyota Land Cruiser carrying two European passengers.
The immense impact forced the heavy truck to swerve into the oncoming lane. It then ploughed into seven other vehicles heading in the opposite direction.
Rioba, who was driving an Isuzu D-Max, was rushed to Naivasha Sub-County Hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival. In the chaos, a civilian successfully retrieved the officer’s loaded Ceska pistol from the scene and handed it safely over to a police officer who was nearby.
Among the survivors is Regina Chumba, a Member of the County Assembly for Uasin Gishu, who is currently being treated for chest pains. The two foreign nationals in the Land Cruiser sustained minor injuries.
All nine vehicles were extensively damaged and have been towed to the Naivasha Police Station for inspection.
Police have launched a manhunt for the driver of the lorry, who fled the scene immediately after the crash.
