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Nqobile Tshili/Whinsley Masara, Chronicle Correspondents
TWO people died in separate accidents after they lost control of the respective vehicles they were driving with the cars veering off the road and killing them on the spot.
One of the accidents occurred at Mbembesi Bridge along the Nkayi-Bulawayo road on Sunday while the other happened at the 90km peg along Bulawayo-Plumtree Road on Saturday.
The Mbembesi accident involved a 47-year- old man who rammed into the bridge after losing control of his Nissan Hard Body.
Bulawayo Chief Fire Officer, Mr Richard Peterson, confirmed the accident saying the emergency department was called at 6:45PM.
“He was driving alone in a Nissan Hard Body vehicle and is suspected to have lost control of the vehicle and rammed into a bridge. He was trapped in the car which had already caught fire. The victim’s body was partially burnt in the process,” said Mr Peterson.
He said it was not clear what caused the accident but urged drivers to exercise caution on the roads.
“We attended to these accidents and I want to urge drivers to avoid driving at night because at night visibility is poor unlike during the day. Speeding is another factor that also puts your life at risk, especially taking into consideration the state of the Bulawayo- Nkayi Road,” he said.
Mr Peterson said drivers should avoid the use of cellphones while driving as it affects their concentration levels.
A 40-year-old man from Malawi died on the spot after the he vehicle he was driving overturned along the Bulawayo-Plumtree Road.
Sources said George Linzie Chikomo, based in Botswana, who was driving a Toyota Land Cruiser lost control of the vehicle and veered off the road on Saturday at 5PM.
“The driver lost control of the vehicle at the 90KM peg along the Bulawayo-Plumtree road as he was approaching Plumtree Town. He is suspected to have slept while on the wheel. The driver veered off the road resulting in the car overturning and landing on its roof,” said the source.
Matabeleland South police spokesperson Chief Inspector Philisani Ndebele referred questions to the national police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi.
Asst Comm Nyathi said he had not yet received the reports. — @nqotshili
derick.khumalo