admin
Thupeyo Muleya Beitbridge Bureau
Eight people, among them three infants were killed when a Mercedes Benz they were travelling in was involved in a head on collision with a haulage truck at the 271km peg along the Bulawayo-Beitbridge Highway yesterday. The Mercedes Benz was travelling towards Gwanda from Beitbridge with eight people on board including the driver, while the haulage truck was travelling from Bulawayo to Beitbridge.
The incident occurred around 3pm, but the police only got the report two hours later.
When our news crew arrived at the scene, bodies of the deceased had already been ferried to Beitbridge District Hospital mortuary, while both vehicles had been reduced to shells by fire.
Several empty beer bottles could be seen in the wreckage of the Mercedes Benz.
The two vehicles had also blocked the road with police officers controlling traffic.
Witnesses said the driver of the Mercedes Benz was earlier spotted drinking beer in Beitbridge.
“When we arrived, three people from the Mercedes Benz had been seriously burnt,” said a woman identified only as Susan. “The driver was still trapped in the wreckage holding on to a beer bottle and the steering wheel.”
Police officers close to the investigations said the driver of the Mercedes Benz tried to overtake without checking oncoming traffic.
“Indications are that the driver of the Mercedes Benz tried to overtake another vehicle unbeknown to him that there was a truck travelling in the opposite direction, resulting in the head-on collision,” said a police officer.
“The two vehicles caught fire immediately as a result of the impact. The two men who were in the truck escaped unhurt.”
Police officer commanding Beitbridge district chief superintendent Patrick Majuta could not be reached for comment last night.
The accident comes a few months after 20 people were killed when a Mercedes Benz sprinter was involved in a head-on collision with a Hino truck near the 80km peg along the Beitbridge-Masvingo Highway.
Online Reporter