Car crash kills 10 family members

Insp Chademana said eight people from the Toyota Dyna died on the spot while two others died on admission at Kwekwe General Hospital.

“All the passengers who were at the back of the Toyota Dyna truck were thrown out on impact. Two people who were in front, the driver Everisto Mapasure, the headmaster of Driefontein High School and another person were trapped in the truck’s cab,” he said.
Insp Chademana said the driver of the Nissan UD truck and his passenger were injured and admitted together with several others from the Toyota Dyna truck at Kwekwe General Hospital.

Insp Chademana said preliminary investigations showed that the accident could have been a result of fatigue.
“Police are appealing to all motorists to travel at stipulated speed (limits) and make sure that they always exercise caution. Motorists are also advised to rest if they feel tired,” he said.

A relative of the victims, Mr Alecks Ncube, said the family was devastated.
“It is difficult to explain this tragedy. We are failing to come to terms with this tragic incident, which has befallen us as a family. Everyone is still confused and we don’t even know where to begin after losing 10 family members in a single accident,” he said.

Mr Ncube said the deceased were cousins and daughters-in-law who were going to the funeral of their grandmother who died at Chemumvuri Village under Chief Njelele, about 10km from Gokwe Town.

“A grandmother to the Sithole family had passed on in Gokwe. Most of our relatives who were travelling had come from various parts of the country. They included cousins and daughters-in-law to the Sithole family. They were all travelling in the same truck when the accident occurred. It’s a painful experience that we are going through,” he said.
Names of the deceased were still being withheld until all relatives had been informed.

Insp Chigome urged drivers to be cautious and observe traffic rules and regulations.
“We are now commencing the festive holiday and people must know that this is the time when people die in numbers.

“People must dip and dim their lights as we suspect that maybe the driver was disturbed by the lights,” he said.