BMW driver dies after hitting truck on the Southern Bypass

A middle-aged man died on Wednesday night, May 5, after his vehicle rammed into a lorry. The accident happened on the Southern Bypass in Nairobi.

Police say the driver of the BMW X5 was speeding when the vehicle smashed into the lorry the was on the fast lane. The driver’s compartment was crushed into small pieces and stuck under the underride guard of the commercial truck.

Police clarification

Following the accident, photos of the accident scene circulated on social media. Online reports claimed the driver of the BMW had ploughed into a stalled lorry. However, this claim has been refuted by Lang’ata OCPD Benjamin Mwanthi.

“We suspect the driver was speeding on the fast lane, when he crashed into the rear part of the loaded lorry,” Mwanthi told The Standard.

The driver of the BMW died at the scene and his body was taken to City Mortuary.  The mangled wreckage of the BMW was towed to Lang’ata Police Station.

Poor lighting

Social media users on Thursday morning, May 6 suggested poor lighting on the Southern bypass contributed to the accident.

A senior police officer, however, told The Standard that the lighting system on a section of the highway is controlled to ensure aircrafts taking off from the nearby Wilson Airport are not misdirected.