A truck driver escaped lynching at Kikopey trading centre after he knocked down a primary school child then tried to escape.
According to eyewitnesses, trouble started after the driver knocked down the student as he crossed the road then defied orders to stop.
"We heard the child writhing in pain but when we tried to stop the driver, he ignored us," Moses Gichuki said.
He said a matatu driver who witnessed the events unfold made an initiative of blocking the road in front of the trailer forcing the driver to stop.
The driver, Juma Msesa, however denied the accusations.
"I was guilty but noticed that the situation might turn ugly because of how the residents had interpreted it. There was no way I could run away after doing such a thing," he said.
It took the intervention of traffic officers manning a roadblock not far from the shopping centre to calm the residents who were baying for the driver's blood.
"As much as hit and run cases are on the rise on our roads, it's always advisable to give the responsible drivers a chance to explain themselves rather than harassing them. At times they are totally innocent but are forced to carry the blame," an officer said.