Bridge curve accident horror kills five
AN engine was completely ejected from a car and thrown about 15 metres across a road from the impact of an atrocious head-on crash that killed five people, including two children on the spot and left another five seriously injured.
The injured, who include a mother and her baby, who were said to have life-threatening injuries, were among the casualties rushed to Rusape General Hospital for treatment.
The accident occurred around 2pm on Tuesday at the Nyazura Bridge curve, which is historically notorious for high concentration of fatal accidents due its sharpness.
The collision left the front ends of both cars completely mangled on impact –and plunged Nyazura into deep mourning as hundreds of residents from the neighbourhood who rushed to the scene on hearing a loud bang and others motorists, wept uncontrollably.
The Manica Post crew arrived at the scene a few minutes after the accident had occurred when survivors were still being rescued and rushed to Rusape General Hospital.
An ambulance arrived about 50 minutes later when the survivors had already been rushed to hospital by motorists.
The engine was removed from a white Toyota Passo travelling from Mutare towards Rusape, and thrown across the road.
The front end of the other Toyota Corolla, travelling towards Mutare was flattened, and the wreckage formed a detour on the road leading to the Nyazura Bridge, compelling Intertoll and Vehicle Inspection Department (VID) officials to control traffic on both ends.
Police arrived hours after the accident as the local station had depleted manpower following deployment to various polling stations.
The Passo wreckage had blood stains on the doors while its steering was also removed on impact and thrown across the road.
Its driver was trapped on the legs, and besides him were some beer cans.
So heart wrenching was the sight of a deceased child’s head hanging through one of the shattered windows. The body of another child, thrown out through the window, lay besides the white wreckage.
The body was later covered by a red blanket by an elderly woman.
Two survivors from the wreck- age – a woman and her baby – were rushed to Rusape General Hospital.
They sustained head and broken limp injuries.
The Passo had five occupants believed to be members of the same family going to their rural home for holiday. In the beige Toyota Babble, two dead male adults could be seen through shattered windows and opened doors. Both had severe head and leg injuries. Their faces and chests were covered with blood.
Beer bottles and cans, groceries, car parts and broken glasses were strewn all over the scene. The debris was later removed by the Intertoll officials to allow smooth passage of cars.
The wreckages were cut to retrieve the bodies, which were taken to Rusape General Hospital mortuary.
Police national spokesperson ChiefSuperintendent Paul Nyathi said the accident victims had not been identified.
He urged members of the public with motoring relatives who plied the Harare-Nyazura and Mutare-Nyazura route who did not get to their destinations to contact Nyazuraor Rusape traffic police.
“We are still in the process of identifying all those affected by this tragic incident, as well as their relatives. The accident occurred at the 196km peg along the Mutare-Harare Road after one of the parties encroached into the lane of an on-coming car, leading to a head-on collision,” he said.