One killed in road accident

It could not be readily established how many people were aboard both vehicles, but the pick up truck had reportedly loaded people at Mac’s Garage on its way to Gwanda while the kombi was reportedly not full.
The 14 injured were rushed to the United Bulawayo Hospitals where they were admitted.
The accident occurred around 3pm at the 25km peg where police usually mount a roadblock.
The Toyota Hiace kombi was reportedly coming from Filabusi to Bulawayo, while the truck, a Government Mahindra, was coming from Bulawayo to Gwanda town.
Witnesses said the driver of the Mahindra could have lost control and the vehicle veered to the right in front of the oncoming kombi.
It hit an acacia tree, uprooted it and threw it on top of another tree and proceeded, while still on the side of the road and hit another tree and brought it down.
After it hit the three trees on the side of the road there were no tyre marks for 10 metres, which showed that it was thrown into the air in the direction of the road due to the impact and hit the kombi on the driver’s side.
The kombi driver was killed on the spot.
The truck landed with its rear on the road and it caught fire burning its entire front.
The distance from where the pick-up truck veered off the road to where it hit the kombi could be about 50 metres.
When Chronicle visited the scene of the accident, the injured had already been taken to UBH by ambulances from the Bulawayo City Council (BCC), Emras, Netcare and private cars.
The body of the driver of the kombi was still at the scene of the accident outside the car.
Lying next to the body was a straw hat believed to be his, $20 and 150 rand cash and two cellphones, believed to have come from the kombi.
A trailer loaded with drums, which the kombi was pulling, was also on the side of the road undamaged.
The front of the kombi and the dashboard was crushed and there was blood.
A woman who was still at the scene and had reportedly escaped unhurt from the kombi looked shaken and could not give details.
Although no official comment was readily available from police, officers from Esigodini attended to the scene together with the fire brigade from Bulawayo.