Starehe sub-county Police Commander Fred Abuga has identified the victim of a fatal crash at the Pangani underpass on Thika Road on Saturday night as James Ogola.
The deceased was a mechanic at Fitmax garage and was driving his client’s Mercedes Benz S300 when he rammed a concrete wall at the intersection of Murang’a and Forest roads some minutes after midnight.
The owner of the vehicle, registration number KCT 985J, has also been identified as Joanne Muthoni.
Police on Sunday said Ogola lost control of the car while negotiating a bend in the tunnel. He reportedly managed to get out of the car that had burst into flames but fell about one metre away and died on the spot.
Starehe Sub-County Police Commander Fred Abuga mentioned that Ogola sustained severe burns on his limbs and lower body, making it difficult to identify him using his fingerprints.
“It was not possible to obtain the fingerprints due to the nature of the burns. We were exploring any angle that could give us some hint on who he might have been,” he said.
The owner of the Mercedes said she was shocked when she started receiving calls from concerned people who knew her car.
She said Ogola picked up the car on Thursday for servicing.
“I can confirm that the vehicle has not been stolen, it was picked up on Thursday for repairs by my mechanic,” Muthoni told reporters.
“I have received overwhelming love and I thank everyone that has tried to reach me. My phone has been ringing non-stop, and I still have some missed calls that I have not responded to. However, I feel so sad that he lost his life,” she added.
Muthoni said she was still in shock and has not been able to leave the house since the accident.
“The biggest lesson for me is the need for control over how information is shared. The images and clips shared on social media left me dumbfounded,” she said.
The motorist also confirmed that the mechanic was at liberty to drive the car.
“If there was a need to do a test drive, it’s okay.”
