The Nairobi-Nakuru highway was temporarily closed on Monday after residents of Murengeti village in Limuru scrambled for cabbages from a lorry that overturned in the area.
Police and witnesses said the driver lost control of the lorry which overturned and landed in a ditch.
Instead of rescuing the survivors, some youthful men started removing cabbages while blocking traffic on the highway.
Motorists had to slow down and, at one point, stopped their vehicles as the drama unfolded.
However, traffic police officers from Tigoni police station, who arrived shortly, chased away the youths and managed to control the traffic along the busy highway.
A resident, John Njagi, condemned the incident, saying the youths who stole the cabbages have tainted the reputation of their village.
“They were a few idlers. They think they will sell those cabbages to greengrocers but these vegetables are on our farms. People in this area planted a lot when the rains started and are now harvesting them,” he said.
St John Ambulance official Josphine Nyambura said the driver and one passenger were taken to Tigoni Hospital with minor injuries.
She added that the wreckage of the lorry was towed to Tigoni police station as they embarked on investigating the cause of the accident.
The accident happened just days after the Londiani deadly crash, where the driver lost control of the truck.
More than 50 people were killed in the accident.
Lorry drivers have been told to be cautious while driving along the highway, especially during the chilly weather.