3 DEAD IN CRASH

THREE people travelling in a Toyota Altezza died yesterday in an accident which occurred near Chikwingwizha Seminary turn-off at the 20km peg along the Gweru-Shurugwi Road.

Two died on the spot and the third person died at Gweru Provincial Hospital following the crash that occurred at around 12:20PM.

Gweru Fire Brigade sub officer Mr Ephraim Manzera confirmed the fatal accident and said the vehicle could have been speeding.

Mr Manzera said they were called to the scene at around 12:30PM and arrived at about 1PM.

He said the three people in the Toyota Altezza were driving from Shurugwi towards Gweru when the fatal accident occurred.

“The Toyota Altezza light vehicle was travelling towards Gweru city when it veered off the road and crashed into a very big tree at the 20km peg along the Gweru-Shurugwi highway near Chikwingwizha Seminary turnoff, killing two people on the spot,” said Mr Manzera.

He said when they arrived at the scene, the third person who later died on admission to Gweru Provincial Hospital had been removed from the wreckage by fellow travellers.

Mr Manzera said they suspected that the vehicle was speeding and hit a pothole before veering off the road.

“When we got to the scene we found the vehicle lying on its side and we took about 45 minutes to cut the doors before removing the two bodies from the wreckage. The third passenger had been ferried to Gweru Provincial Hospital after being rescued by some travellers. Unfortunately he died on admission,” he said.

Efforts to get a comment from Midlands provincial police spokesperson Assistant Inspector Ethel Mukwende were fruitless as she was not in office. Her mobile phone was not reachable. The Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Transport and Infrastructural Development has previously said 85 percent of accidents in the country are due to human error. MPs listed 12 other causes of accidents that include bad state of roads, speeding, drunken driving, fatigue, use of cellphones when driving and going through red robots.

The use of second hand tyres, stationary and defective vehicles, stray animals on the roads, inadequate road signage and markings as well as lack of traffic enforcement were also cited. — @ pchitumba1