The Sunday News
Munyaradzi Musiiwa, Sunday News Reporter
FIVE people, including four members of the same family died in an accident while seven others were seriously injured when a Toyota D4D collided head-on with a Zupco kombi near Josiah Tungamirai Airbase in Gweru on Christmas Day.
The accident occurred at around 6am when the Toyota D4D which was coming from Mvuma with 11 people on board collided head on with the Zupco kombi which was coming from Gweru Central Business District (CBD) with two people on board.
A police officer said on approaching the Josiah Tungamirai Airbase, the driver of the Toyota D4D lost control of the vehicle and it swerved to the right, encroaching onto the right lane ahead of an oncoming commuter omnibus resulting in the head-on collision.
The police officer said three people, a conductor from the kombi and two passengers in the Toyota D4D died on the spot while two other passengers died at Gweru Provincial Hospital.
“The accident occurred at around 6am when a Toyota D4D which was going towards Gweru CBD collided with a commuter omnibus which was driving towards Mvuma. It is suspected that the driver of the Toyota D4D lost control of the vehicle and swerved to the right. He encroached onto the right lane ahead of an oncoming commuter omnibus and the two vehicles collided head on.
Three people died on the spot while two others died at Gweru Provincial Hospital where they were receiving treatment. Seven other passengers were also injured and are receiving treatment at Gweru Provincial Hospital,” said the source.
Of the five victims, the source said four were from the same family.
“The four who died from the Toyota D4D are members of the same family. They included a woman and her two children and their sister-in-law. Ironically the sister-in-law had just been involved in an accident in Manicaland and they were coming from the scene,” said the source.
National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi could neither deny nor confirm the accident.
“I am not in the office at the moment. I will be able to provide the details and other information tomorrow (today),” he said.
