Police in Athi River, Machakos County, have launched investigations into an incident where a woman was mercilessly beaten and her vehicle set ablaze.
This is after she was involved in a road accident with a motorcycle that left the rider dead on the spot.
Police said irate members of the public took the law into their hands and attacked the woman, injuring her, before they torched the motor vehicle.
The head-on collision with a motorbike occurred along Devki-Kinanie Road at about 7.30 pm on Thursday.
The matter was reported to Athi River Police
Station as a fatal injury road traffic accident at 10.48 pm on the same day,
hours after it happened.
"The accident occurred today, the 21st day
of August 2025, at 7.30 pm near Havest Company along Devki-Kinanie Road
involving a motor vehicle Toyota Axio driven by Mercy Jepngetich and a rider namely
Joseph Watitwa Masibo, aged about 30 years, now deceased, who had a pillion
passenger suspected to have sustained injuries and rushed to an unknown
hospital," a police report seen by the Star read in part.
Police said preliminary investigations revealed that the said motor vehicle was allegedly on the wrong lane at the time of the accident.
It was being driven towards Kinanie from Devki general direction while the rider was moving in the opposite direction.
As a result of the accident, the rider sustained serious head injuries and died on the spot.
The driver was beaten by an angry mob
before she was rescued by police officers and rushed to Shalom Community
Hospital for treatment.
Police said the motor vehicle was burnt to a shell
after it was set on fire by the mob.
Police visited the scene and processed it, and
the body was moved to Shalom Community Hospital Mortuary, where it was
preserved awaiting postmortem.
Police said the shell of the motor vehicle was
not removed from the scene immediately.
It was left at the scene to cool down
before being moved to Athi River Police Station for inspection.
