Kombi drives over sleeping passenger

A 39-YEAR-OLD man from Masvingo was on Saturday evening crushed to death by a Mercedes Benz sprinter he had been travelling in while sleeping under the vehicle at Beitbridge Border Post.

It is alleged that Webster Rukwava went to sleep under the vehicle at around 11.40PM while colleagues he was travelling with went through customs and immigration procedures.

Matabeleland South police spokesperson Inspector Philisani Ndebele said the car was travelling from South Africa to Masvingo towing a trailer and carrying an assortment of goods.

“While at the border post, the driver went to process immigration and customs documents for both the goods and the vehicle. During that time, the now deceased disembarked from the car and slept underneath it with his head close to the front wheels,” he said.

Inspector Ndebele said when the driver returned, he started the engine and the front wheels crushed Rukwava’s head.

He said Rukwava died on the spot and the matter was reported to the police.

“The man’s body has been taken to Beitbridge District Hospital mortuary while the vehicle’s driver is assisting police with investigations. As police we want to urge motorists to always stick to the basics of driving so that we can avoid such unnecessary deaths,” said Insp Ndebele.

In August this year, the driver of a Bulawayobound Greyhound bus driver was crushed to death at Beitbridge Border Post when he was trapped under a bus while attending to a tyre puncture.

The incident comes a few months after a tout was crushed to death while sleeping underneath a bus at Dulivhadzimu bus terminus.

Late last year, another woman collapsed and died while standing in a queue on the South African side of the border.