Online Reporter
Conrad Mupesa
Mashonaland West Bureau
FOUR people were killed while several others were injured in two separate road traffic accidents that occurred in Makonde District on Tuesday, police have confirmed.
The crashes, which happened along the Harare–Chirundu Road and the Lion’s Den–Mhangura Road, were both attributed to overtaking errors.
In the first incident, which occurred at the 133km peg along the Harare–Chirundu Road at around 8:56 am, a head-on collision between a Toyota Progress and a Toyota Hilux claimed the life of Stephen Gadzikwa (55) of Chinhoyi.
The now deceased, who was travelling towards Karoi, perished on the spot after sustaining severe head injuries.
He was an overseer at the Apostolic Faith Mission in Zimbabwe Bread of Life Assembly in Chinhoyi.
Police sources said the accident occurred when the now deceased attempted to overtake and encroached into the path of an oncoming vehicle.
The driver of the Toyota Hilux, Gerald Gavanga (36) of Mhangura, sustained a deep cut on the forehead and is admitted at Chinhoyi Provincial Hospital in a serious condition.
His passenger, Clementine Mbaya (18), sustained minor injuries and is reported to be in a stable condition.
In a separate incident later that day at around 6:45 pm, three people died in another head-on collision at the 43km peg along the Lion’s Den–Mhangura Road.
Reports suggest that the accident involved a Toyota Regius driven by Kudakwashe Dube (31) and a Nissan AD Van driven by Jeremiah Dzaruma (35) of Mhangura.
Dzaruma and two passengers died from injuries sustained in the crash, while two other passengers were seriously injured and were rushed to the hospital.
“The accident occurred when the Nissan AD Van driver attempted to overtake and encroached into the lane of an oncoming vehicle, resulting in a head-on collision,” said a police source.
The bodies of the deceased were taken to Chinhoyi Provincial Hospital mortuary for post-mortem, while the injured are also receiving treatment at the same health institution.
