Five youths killed in Harare BMW crash

Harare — Five youths were killed when a BMW they were travelling in rammed into a tree along Milton Avenue next to Parirenyatwa Hospital over the long weekend and three others were injured, two very seriously, in Harare’s worst holiday accident.

Two of the eight people in the car died instantly as the vehicle smashed into the tree on Saturday night while three more died before they could be admitted to the adjacent Parirenyatwa Hospital.

Three others are still in hospital where two of them are reported to be in a critical condition. The joy-riding youths were heading towards Marlborough to pick up a friend. When The Herald visited the scene of accident yesterday, the vehicle was still stuck on the tree. Bloodstains and broken teeth were strewn all over the place.

One of the youths took the BMW without permission of his parents, who are in the United Kingdom, and asked Phil Mutadi (20) to drive as he could not.

He is said to have invited his friends and a girlfriend before going out to nightspots in the city. Police have since released the names of the deceased five as Cleopatra Guvheya (20), twins Bright and Gift Kumirai (20), Tonderai Chikoore (20) and Pride Bere (18), all of Harare.

National Traffic Police spokesperson Inspector Tigere Chigome yesterday said the other two who are in a critical condition were still to be identified. Insp Chigome said the accident occurred when the driver of the BMW attempted to overtake another vehicle at high speed, resulting in the car veering off the road and ramming into a tree.

At least 40 people perished in road accidents throughout Zimbabwe this Heroes and Defence Forces holiday, making it the bloodiest in four years. Source: The Herald