Former Nyeri Governor Wahome Gakuru's driver attributed his bosses death to poor response from the emergency response team.
Samson Kinyanjui told an inquest on Thursday that there were no efforts by the emergency response team to rescue the governor after the accident at Makenji along Nairobi-Kenol highway on November 7, 2017.
He said that after hitting a metallic barrier, his foot got stuck on the acceleration pedal causing the rail to pierce through the car from the front and coming out at the rear.
The governor who had been in office for 77 days only was badly injured where he was forced to stay inside the car at the scene for about 45 minutes while writhing in pain and bleeding profusely as his aides and members of the public tried to rescue him.
"The death was caused by poor response of the emergency teams. His life would have been saved. There was no effort made to rescue him," said Kinyanjui who testified before Nyeri chief Magistrate Wendy Kagendo.
He, however, denied that the vehicle had mechanical problems stating that it was serviced.
The car had not been used for a whole week and had been at the governor's residence at Ring road estate.
The current governor Mutahi Kahiga after taking office said that the vehicle that killed governor Gakuru was faulty and he was forced to give up his vehicle to be used by the governor but the driver declined insisting the Mercedes was in good condition.
Senior Assistant director of public prosecution Peter Mairanyi together with Gakuru's family lawyer Martha Weru told the inquest that the driver caused the governor's death through commission or was being used by other agents.
The inquest heard that the driver was reluctant to testify because he feared for his life. He told the inquest that he was being threatened by people he failed to name.
However, the court noted that the witness never reported the threats to the police or state prosecutor.