HARARE – Thirteen people, among them prison officers, an inmate, and pedestrians, perished in two horrific car crashes on Friday.
The first accident occurred along the Harare-Mukumbura Road when a motorist heading towards Mt Darwin lost control of his BMW vehicle and careened off the road, killing six pedestrians instantly.
Among the victims was a “pedestrian who had just disembarked from another vehicle and five others who were walking on the verge of the road,” police spokesman Paul Nyathi said.
“One person was also injured and taken to Mt Darwin Hospital. The bodies of the deceased were also ferried to Mt Darwin Hospital mortuary for postmortem.”
The second smash happened in Nyanga, Manicaland province, where a Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Service (ZPCS) pick-up truck collided with a Liquid Cargo Africa fuel tanker, killing seven people, including four prison officers, an inmate, and two civilians.
Nyathi said the driver of a fuel tanker “encroached onto the lane of an oncoming Nissan NP300 which had nine people on board, resulting in a head-on collision.”
“Seven people from the Nissan NP300 motor vehicle died on the spot while two others were injured. The bodies of the deceased were taken to Bonda Mission Hospital mortuary for postmortem,” the police spokesman said, adding they were withholding the deceased’s identities until the next of kin have been advised.
Nyathi advised motorists “to be observant, exercise extreme caution and avoid speeding especially during this wet period. It is the responsibility of drivers to be safety conscious on the roads.”
