A psychiatric patient was slightly injured after he hijacked an ambulance at Moi Referral Hospital, drove away and collided with a fuel tanker on the Eldoret-Iten road.
He was driving home when the accident occurred.
The ambulance belonging to Uasin Gishu county had taken a patient to the hospital from Kapteldon dispensary when the patient got behind the wheel and drove off at high speed.
The ambulance driver was helping to wheel a patient into the hospital when the psychiatric patient suddenly drove off. He had left the ignition key in the ambulance.
The patient drove through Eldoret town and was heading to his home in Manyatta near Moiben when the ambulance collided with the tanker next to a bridge near Marura market.
The patient was arrested by police at the scene.
Hospital CEO Wilson Aruasa said the patient was with a doctor when he walked out of the consultation room and rushed to the ambulance.
Aruasa explained that the patient was seriously sick and could not be said to have hijacked the ambulance.
“The driver of the ambulance unfortunately left the ignition key in the ambulance as he helped to wheel the patient and it was then that the patient got in and drove away,” Aruasa said.
He said the man did not cause any other damage apart from hitting the fuel tanker.
“After he drove off, we immediately circulated the identity of the ambulance and police intercepted him at the accident scene," the medic said.
Uasin Gishu police commander Johnstone Ipara said they were investigating the incident. The ambulance was towed to the Eldoret police station.
The incident caused panic in the hospital, amid fears that the patient could run over people in Eldoret town.
“Police are handling the situation and will give further details on the incident,” Aruasa said.
Edited by Henry Makori
