The family of Rwandan coach Garvais Hakizamana who died alongside World Marathon record holder Kelvin Kiptum Friday questioned circumstances surrounding the accident and asked further investigations into the same.
A niece to the coach Sandrine Usawe said they want an indepth probe into the accident.
“We are not satisfied and we are asking the Kenya government to carry out proper investigations into the accident,” she said .
“We visited the scene the accident and saw the body before the postmortem and the doctor said everything was normal and the cause of the death was injuries on the skull.”
“Considering the shape of the car after the accident we are just wondering how someone can come out of the car without any wounds. We reject this autopsy,” she emotionally said.
The third occupant who was in the car Sharon Kosgei was in the car survived the accident and was discharged from the hospital the next day.
She has since recorded statements with the police.
A team of pathologists led by Dr Benson Macharia and DCI officers were present at the Eldoret Hospital morgue where a postmortem on the body of the coach was done on Wednesday.
Dr Macharia said the deceased had serious fractures on the skull and multiple bruises on several parts of the body.
The body was Saturday flown to Nairobi and then to Kigali Rwanda ahead of burial by his family.
Kiptum and his coach died in accident at Kaptagat area along the Elgeyo Marakwet-Ravine road on Sunday night.
Elgeyo Marakwet Police Commander Peter Mulinge said the investigations were ongoing.
The pathologist said the coach died as a result of a head injury.
“He died of an intracranial bleeding due to head injury which is consistent with head injuries. The neck and head had fractures, which are consistent with the accident report,” said Dr. Macharia.
Meanwhile, Sharon Kosgei, the female passenger who survived the accident that claimed Kiptum and Hakizimana, reportedly told police the late world marathon record holder, who was the driver at the time of the accident, lost control of the vehicle on the Eldoret – Ravine road.
Kosgei has reportedly recorded a detailed statement at the Iten Police Station in Elgeyo Marakwet County.
Mulinge said according to Kosgei’s statement she saw the car they were in driven by Kiptum veering off the road at the area where the accident happened.
“According to her statement she quickly alerted Kiptum that they were going out of the road at which point Kiptum accelerated and was unable to control the car leading to the accident,” said Mulinge.
Mulinge said Kosgei indicated that she was alert before the accident but does not know how she survived.
Mulinge further said a postmortem report on the body of Kiptum’s coach indicated that he had taken food which had not been digested.
Kosgei told Police that they had taken supper in Eldoret before heading towards Kaptagat.
While appearing before the National Assembly Sports Committee, Cabinet Secretary Ababu Namwamba stated that Kiptum’s death is a wake up call for the government to do more in protecting athletes based in the North Rift.
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