On Tuesday, investigators disclosed that the vehicle, which resulted in the tragic deaths of World Marathon record holder Kelvin Kiptum and his Rwandan coach Gervais Hakizamana, had no mechanical issues.
Elgeyo Marakwet Police Commander Peter Mulinge stated that a mechanical inspection was conducted on the Toyota Premio owned by the athlete on Monday and Tuesday. The report indicates that the vehicle was mechanically fit in all aspects.
“The examiner said there was no pre-accident evidence of a mechanical breakdown, which basically means it had good breaks, tyres, lights, everything mechanically okay according to the investigations,” Mulinge said.
Keiyo South Sub-County police boss Dahir Abdullahi confirmed the same saying that a preliminary report had ruled out any mechanical problems with the athlete’s vehicle before the accident. Investigators suspect the vehicle might have been at high speed due to the impact.
“Going by the assessment report, the vehicle was in good condition,” he said.
Ongoing Investigations
Authorities mentioned that other aspects of the accident investigation were ongoing.
A combined team of investigators from the National Transport Safety Authority (NTSA), the Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA), and police investigators are handling the probe.
“The team comprises road auditors who are looking at the terrain of the area and the road condition and motor vehicle inspectors looking at the mechanical state of the ill-fated vehicle,” the NTSA Road Strategy Safety Manager said.
Kiptum is believed to have lost control of the vehicle, which then veered off the road, landing in a ditch about 60 meters away, before hitting a big tree.
Apart from the mechanical assessment, investigators will also be banking on the post-mortem report of both the athlete and his coach for further clues, as well as talking to witnesses who arrived at the scene first.
“The doctor’s post-mortem report will tell us more, we shall have a clearer picture when we get the entire report,” Mulinge said.
