The Sunday News
A police officer who was manning a roadblock along Siyephambili Drive near Bellevue Shopping Centre was yesterday knocked down by a commuter omnibus driver who failed to stop as he was approaching the roadblock, Sunday News can reveal.
Bulawayo police spokesperson Inspector Mandlenkosi Moyo confirmed the incident.
“I can confirm that a police officer was involved in a road traffic accident and she is currently detained at a local hospital getting treatment. We are still investigating the matter as we speak,” he said.
He said he could not furnish this publication with any further details on what happened at the scene.
According to a witness who declined to be named, the police officer moved into the road to stop a kombi.
“The kombi was coming from Emganwini. There were police officers on the side of the road and they did not show any signs of wanting to stop the kombi.
“Only when the kombi was a few metres away did she run and get a cone and she blocked the road but as soon as she stood up straight after placing the cone on the tarmac she was hit by the kombi,” said the witness.
“Had the police woman flagged down the kombi when it was still far, she was never going to be hit. The driver of the kombi assumed he was not going to be stopped; that is why he drove confidently through the roadblock, only for the cop to jump in to the road unexpectedly. The driver tried to apply emergency brakes because it was so sudden but it was too late. I was watching when it happened.”
Another man who witnessed the accident said he was pained by the reaction of the police details that were manning the road block.
“Police officers who were at the scene after realising that their fellow mate had been knocked down started by searching the woman as she lay injured in the middle of the road.
“It was after that that they removed her from the road and put her on the side and called for an ambulance,” he said.
The driver of the kombi did not flee the scene but pulled over on the side of the road and began to assist.
This is not the first incident where a police officer has been knocked down for trying to stop vehicles at road blocks.
In April this year along the same road, a police officer was knocked down by a kombi driver and sustained injuries.
Last year another police officer died at Mater Dei hospital after being hit by a pirate taxi which dragged him for about 100 metres before falling off the vehicle head first.
The police are on record saying motorists must obey road rules and regulations and also approach road blocks with caution.
