adminShamiso Dzingire Court Reporter
A POLICE officer sustained serious head injuries and multiple fractures after an underage commuter omnibus driver ploughed through a roadblock and dragged her for about 30 metres, a magistrate heard yesterday.
About two hours before the incident, Junior Peter Gopito, 20, sped through another roadblock sending police officers scurrying for safety away from the road.
The police officer he knocked down on July 4, who was not named in court, is still admitted to the United Bulawayo Hospitals (UBH).
Gopito pleaded not guilty to a charge of reckless driving and failure to comply with lawful instructions given by the police when he appeared before Western Commonage Magistrate Themba Chimiso.
Chimiso remanded him in custody to July 28. Prosecuting, Tony Kamudyariwa said on July 4, at around 8AM, Gopito was driving a public service vehicle along Birkenhead Road near Westgate in Bulawayo. Kamudyariwa said police officers signalled for Gopito to stop when he approached the roadblock.
“He failed to stop and drove directly towards the police officer who fled off the road and Gopito drove through the roadblock, hitting two traffic cones that were being used to block the road. He didn’t stop after the accident,” said the prosecutor.
At around 10AM the same day, the court heard, Gopito was driving the same vehicle along Masiyephambili Drive near Plumtree road. He allegedly approached another roadblock where a police officer signalled him to stop when he was about 100 metres away.
“The driver accelerated his vehicle and drove towards the police officer, knocking her down and dragging her for about 20 to 30 metres before stopping,” said Kamudyariwa.
He said due to the accident, the police officer sustained serious head injuries, a fractured leg and a fractured arm. The prosecutor said Gopito acted recklessly by driving at an excessive speed, failing to stop or act reasonably when the accident seemed imminent and by failing to obey a lawfully erected traffic sign.
Bongani Ndlovu
Online Reporter