adminSukulwenkosi Dube-Matutu, Gwanda Correspondent
SIX people died on the spot among them a two-year-old girl while eight others were wounded when the driver of a Toyota Quantum vehicle they were travelling in rammed into a haulage truck after allegedly trying to overtake it in the face of oncoming traffic along the Bulawayo-Beitbridge Road on Thursday.
Witnesses said during the collision the Quantum got trapped underneath the haulage truck which dragged it for about 100 metres before stopping.
The driver of the Quantum (name withheld) of New Magwegwe suburb was travelling from Bulawayo to South Africa with 14 passengers on board when the incident occurred on Thursday around 7pm at the 313 km peg along Bulawayo-Beitbridge Road.
A source close to the investigations who preferred anonymity said the injured passengers were admitted to Beitbridge District Hospital while the deceased’s bodies were taken to the hospital’s mortuary.
“On Thursday around 7pm Mr Moses Limungu who is a Zambian was driving a Zambian registered truck along Bulawayo-Beitbridge Road heading towards Beitbridge. A Toyota Quantum with 14 passengers was driving heading the same direction.
“Upon reaching the 313 km peg the driver (of Quantum) who was following behind tried to overtake the haulage truck. While he was in the process of overtaking he saw an oncoming vehicle and decided to return to his lane,” said the source.
He said the driver lost control of his vehicle and side-swiped the haulage truck. He said the Quantum vehicle got trapped underneath the haulage truck which dragged it for about 100 metres.
The source said six passengers died on the spot while eight others sustained injuries and were rushed to Beitbridge Hospital.
He said among the dead passengers were three female adults, two male adults and a two-year-old female toddler. Among the injured were five male and three female adults.
A comment could not be obtained from the police.
Bongani Ndlovu