Motorist who ran over and killed traffic cop released on Sh300K cash bail
A motorist who ran over and killed a traffic police officer last week on the Eastern bypass has been released on Sh300,000 cash bail.
Edward Njoroge appeared before a Nairobi Court on Thursday pleaded not guilty to charges of causing death through dangerous driving.
When he was first arraigned at Milimani Law Courts, Magistrate Martha Nanzushi detained his for seven days to allow for investigations.
According to a police report, the motorist was carrying unidentified plastics when he was flagged down by officer Peter Lukote who at the time was assigned traffic duties on the Southern bypass.
Lang’ata OCPD Gregory Mutiso, told Nairobi News that the officer signalled the 14-seater Matatu driver to stop and asked him to hand over his license while holding onto the door handle.
Colleagues alerted their counterparts
The suspect allegedly refused to hand over the document and a tussle ensued, during which he all of a sudden engaged his gear and drove off.
It’s then that he ran over the officer who had slipped and fallen on the road.
The officer’s colleagues alerted their counterparts at various roadblocks on the runaway vehicle as they rushed their colleagues to Nairobi West Hospital.
Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) detectives who were nearby pursued the Matatu and the driver was intercepted and caught up with it in Kikuyu town.
The officer later succumbed to his injuries while receiving treatment at the Nairobi West Hospital.
A police statement seen by Nairobi News indicates that Lukote’s body was taken to Montezuma Funeral Home in Nairobi.
A post-mortem conducted confirmed that he died from multiple injuries caused by blunt-force trauma.