Policeman hit by motorist rushing to beat curfew, dies
Pedestrians cross the busy Nakuru-Eldoret highway at the Salgaa blackspot. A police constable died after being hit by a motorist trying to beat the curfew. PHOTO | FILE | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
- The motorist was trying to beat the 7 pm curfew.
A police constable died on Sunday evening after a speeding car rammed into him at the Salgaa roadblock along the Nakuru-Eldoret highway while he was on duty.
The officer was manning the roadblock when the motorist, who was trying to beat the curfew, knocked him down a few minutes to 7 pm.
Nakuru County Police Commander Stephen Matu said the officer was enforcing the curfew at the time of the accident. He died on the spot.
“The vehicle was heading from Nakuru when the accident occurred,’’ Mr Matu told the Nation on phone, adding that the officer was declared dead on arrival at a hospital in Nakuru.
The police boss said the driver of the vehicle stopped after the accident and was taken to Salgaa Police Post where he recorded a statement. He was then released on police bail.
“He was released because he could not be detained at the police station due to the measures aimed at containing the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic...he is waiting to be arraigned,’’ Mr Matu said.
He declined to reveal the identity of the officer as his next of kin was yet to be notified of the incident.
The body of the deceased was moved to the mortuary and the vehicle towed to Salgaa Police Post.
Separately, a boda boda operator sustained serious injuries when he was hit by a 14-seater matatu near Simba Cement along the busy Nakuru-Eldoret Highway at almost the same time.
