admin
Crime Reporter
Police have identified five of the six people who were burnt beyond recognition when a Toyota Wish they were travelling in was involved in a head-on collision with a Nissan UD truck near Macheke, along the Harare-Mutare Highway early Sunday morning.
The accident occurred at the 93km peg around 2am and all the deceased were in the Toyota Wish.
Initially, police had issued a statement that only four people had been burnt after the accident.
The five that have been identified are Jesmine Gotekote, Pride Gotekote, Tadiwa Gotekote, Porty Mavavarirwa and Erick Chinakanaka.
National police spokesperson, Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi, said the sixth body was yet to be identified.
“Following our previous message on September 5, 2020 about the fatal road traffic accident which occurred at 93km peg along Harare-Mutare road on September 4, 2020, upon retrieving the bodies from the Toyota wish wreckage, six bodies were discovered as opposed to the initially stated four,” he said.
On Sunday, at around 2am, the truck driver identified as Boyson Chikwanda was travelling towards Mutare in the Nissan UD truck and had one passenger, while the Toyota Wish was heading in the opposite direction.
On approaching the 93km peg along highway, it is alleged that the truck encroached onto the opposite lane before colliding with the Toyota Wish, resulting in both vehicles bursting into flames.
The vehicles were burnt to shells, while occupants in the Toyota Wish were burnt beyond recognition.
Chikwanda and his colleague, who escaped with minor injuries, were rushed to Marondera Provincial Hospital for treatment.
It was a black weekend as six other people died, while 17 others were injured in an accident that occurred along the Nyanga-Nyamaropa road, when the truck they were travelling in, with 34 people, lost brakes and veered off the road around 3am on Saturday.
Nine of the injured people, who had been admitted at Nyanga District Hospital, were discharged on Monday night while all those who had been admitted at Regina Coeli Hospital were also discharged.
Five are still admitted at Victoria Chitepo Provincial Hospital in Mutare.
According to sources, the truck was carrying members of the Matizakurima family who were going to their rural home for a tombstone unveiling ceremony when the accident occurred.
Online Reporter