A matatu driver has been sentenced to two and half years imprisonment or pay a fine of Sh50, 000 after he pleaded guilty to five counts of reckless driving.
Appearing before Murang’a Chief Magistrate Margret Wachira, the driver, John Matheri Kinyua of Nissan matatu KBW 581K, was charged with careless driving on June 28, 2018 along Murang’a-Kenol road, which caused him to hit and injured five pedestrians.
According to facts produced in court by the prosecution, at around noon on the said date, Matheri veered off the road landing into a ditch and in the process hit and injured the five pedestrians.
Good Samaritans, who were nearby alerted traffic officers who were on patrol who arrived immediately, arrested the driver and took him to Murang’a Police Station.
Those injured, among them Simon Macharia and Phyllis Waithera, were rushed to Murang’a Hospital where they were treated and discharged as they had minor injuries on the legs, hands and chest.
They proceeded to Murang’a Police Station where they were issued with P3 forms that were used as evidence against the driver by the prosecution.
The fateful vehicle was towed away and taken for inspection. The prosecution produced the results of the inspection in court which stated that the vehicle was roadworthy and had no defects.
In his mitigation Matheri pleaded for leniency stating that his brakes of his vehicle failed thus forcing him to veer off the road to avoid ramming into a lorry that was ahead of him.
He also said that he is a father of three young children and their mother is deceased.
The court having found him guilty of all the five counts sentenced him to six months in prison or alternatively pay Sh10, 000 for each count.
By Bernard Munyao and Kelvin Kariuki
