Traffic Warning Issued After Safari Rally Driver Injured In Accident [PHOTOS]

Secretary of State Functions, Mike Gitonga on Saturday, June 24 warned motorists using Naivasha Road to expect huge traffic following an accident involving a Safari Rally driver.

The driver sustained injuries in the ongoing World Rally Championship (WRC) Safari Rally in Naivasha after crashing at a high-speed section in the last phase of the race.

The driver of the Ford Fiesta Rally 2, who was competing in the second leg of the rally, sustained injuries but was stable and attended to by doctors.

A scene of an accident in Nakuru where a Safari Rally driver was on Saturday, June 24, 2023, evacuated. /TWITTER.MIKE GITONGA

Photos seen by Viral Tea showed the paramedics rushing to the driver's aid next to the rally car from a nearby ambulance, with a helicopter landing in the middle of the busy road to airlift him to the hospital.

"Expect a major gridlock on Naivasha Road. The driver has been injured but is stable

"Accident along Naivasha Road, medics are on site. Expect a major gridlock as the chopper has had to land on the highway," Gitonga stated in multiple tweets.

A source privy to the matter told Viral Tea that the driver, George Vassilakis, was injured in an accident along the Naivasha-Nakuru Highway as the WRC2 car was driving back to the service park.

"He has been evacuated and is in stable condition. Discussions about the safety of rally cars as they drive back to the Service Park through traffic have emerged," stated the source.

The driver crashed between Kikopei and Gilgil, a stretch known to pose difficulties among rally drivers. He was driving along the Elementeita-Nakuru stretch of the rally route before Gilgil town when he lost control and crashed. 

The Safari Rally is termed the toughest in the entire WRC circuit, thus it is not uncommon for crashes that at times, injure drivers.

The seventh round of the WRC began on Thursday, June 22 and will conclude on Sunday, June 25 between the cities of Nairobi and Nakuru. It was contested over 19 stages covering a total competitive distance of 356.98 kilometres.

The terrains consisted of gravel, tarmac, and dirt, among others, and alongside an unpredictable weather pattern that can turn dusty roads into mud, this is one rally that has proved to be a major challenge to even the best of drivers.

In addition, the world's best drivers also had to contend with huge crowds who braved the cold and rainy weather to watch them do battle against each other in their quest for the WRC world title.

Sebastien Ogier, who won the Safari Rally in 2021, maintained the lead at the end of the Saturday proceedings and will go into the final day expecting to spearhead the Toyota charge to a 1-2-3-4 finish for the second successive year.

Sebastien Ogier in action in a muddy Sleeping Warrior stage during the 2023 WRC Safari Rally on June 24, 2023. /WRC.COM