Three die in accident along Byo-Vic Falls highway

By Leonard Ncube

Three people died on the spot when a Toyota Gaia they were travelling in was involved in an accident with a truck near Cross Dete yesterday.

Four others, including an 18-month-old baby, survived the accident that occurred at Lupote at 3AM, a few kilometres from Cross Dete along the Bulawayo-Victoria Falls highway.

The driver of the Gaia which was Bulawayo-bound and two other people he was travelling with died on the spot.

Police traffic national spokesperson Inspector Tigere Chigome said the Gaia had five people on board while the truck which was heading towards Hwange had two people.

Insp Chigome said investigations were underway to establish the cause of the accident.

Initial investigations showed that the Gaia hit the wheel of the truck, said Insp Chigome.

“I can confirm that there was an accident involving a truck and a small vehicle where three people including the driver of the small vehicle and two passengers died on the spot while two others were injured. Two escaped unhurt,” he said.

The injured were rushed to Hwange Colliery Hospital while the bodies of the deceased were taken to the hospital’s mortuary.

While the police couldn’t confirm that one of the survivors is an infant, witnesses said the baby escaped unhurt while one of the casualties is a vendor who traded her wares at Chinotimba Bus Terminus in Victoria Falls.

Insp Chigome urged motorists to exercise caution when driving especially at night. “Motorists need to drive with due caution when travelling at night and make sure visibility is clear,” he said.

“Lights should be functional to avoid such incidents. We’ve noticed that a lot of people don’t know how to dip lights when approaching an oncoming vehicle and we want to encourage drivers to have knowledge on how to use lights to avoid impairment.” The Chronicle