Suicide after fatal crash: Man drives into house….. Father, mother and her friend killed

By Patrick Chitumba

An administrator with the Roman Catholic-run Kana Mission Hospital in Gokwe hanged himself from a tree after a vehicle he was driving ploughed into his family home leading to the death of his father, mother and her friend.

Before hanging himself, Delani Ngwenya (32) unsuccessfully stabbed himself once in the chest with a knife after the fatal accident that killed his mother and her friend who were in the house.

His father, Mr Paul Ngwenya, who was also in the same house, sustained serious injuries and died at Parirenyatwa Hospital.

A relative took pictures, some showing horrific scenes.

Midlands Provincial Medical Director Dr Simon Nyadundu confirmed the incident which happened at about 3PM on Sunday.

“Yes I received information to the effect that our member of staff, the administrator at Kana Mission Hospital in Gokwe committed suicide. The vehicle he was in ploughed into his family home and we hear his mother and her friend died on the spot. For more information please contact the police,” he said.

Police were not immediately available for comment last night.

However, police sources said the incident happened in Siyanungu Village, Chief Mukoka in Gokwe South.

The sources said Delani was driving a Ford Ranger vehicle with one passenger on board.

“He is the registered owner of the vehicle and on getting to his father’s homestead, he accelerated instead of hitting the brakes. The vehicle hit a pillar on the veranda which fell on his mother Mrs Francesca Ngwenya (60), his father Mr Paul Ngwenya (age not given) and a family friend Mrs Kerisa Maraiti (75).

“Mrs Ngwenya and Maraiti died on the spot after sustaining fractures all over their bodies. Mr Ngwenya was ferried to Gokwe Hospital before he was transferred to Parirenyatwa Hospital where is said to have succumbed to the injuries sustained in the accident,” said the police source.

After seeing that his mother and friend were dead, Delani took a knife and stabbed himself in the chest once.

“He then walked to a nearby bush where he hanged himself.”

Some villagers said Delani recently bought the vehicle but did not have a driver’s licence. The Chronicle