A nine-vehicle crash at Karai along the Nairobi–Nakuru Highway on Monday evening claimed the life of a senior Nyandarua investigator and left a county assembly member injured after a truck lost control and set off a chain-reaction collision.
Police said the accident happened at about 4.50 pm when Nyandarua County Criminal Investigations Officer Senior Superintendent John Rioba was driving an Isuzu D-Max along the busy highway.
The situation turned deadly after a Sinotruk truck heading from Nairobi towards Nakuru lost control and rammed into a Toyota Land Cruiser that was ahead.
The impact forced the Land Cruiser into the opposite lane, where it collided with seven oncoming vehicles, triggering a cascading crash involving nine vehicles in total.
The highway was thrown into chaos as motorists stopped and rushed to assist victims amid the wreckage.
Rioba sustained serious injuries and was rushed to Naivasha Sub-County Hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival. His death was confirmed shortly after he was admitted.
Police said a Ceska pistol loaded with 15 rounds of ammunition was recovered from his possession at the scene. The firearm had initially been picked up by members of the public before being retrieved by a police officer who arrived at the crash site.
Uasin Gishu MCA Regina Chumba was also injured in the crash and complained of chest pains before being taken to hospital for treatment. Two foreign nationals of European origin who were travelling in the Land Cruiser escaped with minor injuries.
The driver of the Sinotruk truck fled immediately after the accident and is now being sought by investigators. All the vehicles involved were extensively damaged and towed to Naivasha Police Station for inspection as inquiries continue into the cause of the crash.
The incident adds to a worrying rise in road accidents along major highways, coming at a time when authorities continue to record multiple fatal crashes across the country. On the same night, police reported four other deaths in separate road accidents in different parts of the country.