Head-on crash kills four
Four people were killed instantly while two were seriously injured in a head-on crash near Okapuka just north of Windhoek yesterday morning.
It is alleged that the driver of a white VW Passat lost control of his car and crashed into a red Toyota Etios that was travelling north. Other road users at the scene told police that the Passat had overtaken when it was unsafe and had travelled at high speed.
The driver of the Etios and three passengers died instantly. Another passenger and the Passat driver were transported to hospital, both in a serious condition.
The shock of the crash was palpable at the scene. Construction workers had rushed to the aid of the victims and were assisting with regulating traffic.
The police were conducting their investigations amid splattered vegetables and clothing strewn across the road surface. Long brake marks indicated that the driver of the Etios had tried to avoid the crash but could not. The vehicle eventually came to a halt some 15 metres from the site of impact.
“We believe that speed was a factor in this accident,” Constable Edmund Khoaseb, a City Police spokesperson, said at the scene.
“It is of cardinal importance that drivers adhere to the speed limit and especially on this route, which is restricted to 80km per hour because of the construction. These speed limits are here for a reason and on top of that, drivers must adjust their speed according to the conditions they find themselves in.
“With the festive season approaching, we have to be even more aware and careful so that we can have safe roads over the holidays,” he said.
YOCHANAAN COETZEE
It is alleged that the driver of a white VW Passat lost control of his car and crashed into a red Toyota Etios that was travelling north. Other road users at the scene told police that the Passat had overtaken when it was unsafe and had travelled at high speed.
The driver of the Etios and three passengers died instantly. Another passenger and the Passat driver were transported to hospital, both in a serious condition.
The shock of the crash was palpable at the scene. Construction workers had rushed to the aid of the victims and were assisting with regulating traffic.
The police were conducting their investigations amid splattered vegetables and clothing strewn across the road surface. Long brake marks indicated that the driver of the Etios had tried to avoid the crash but could not. The vehicle eventually came to a halt some 15 metres from the site of impact.
“We believe that speed was a factor in this accident,” Constable Edmund Khoaseb, a City Police spokesperson, said at the scene.
“It is of cardinal importance that drivers adhere to the speed limit and especially on this route, which is restricted to 80km per hour because of the construction. These speed limits are here for a reason and on top of that, drivers must adjust their speed according to the conditions they find themselves in.
“With the festive season approaching, we have to be even more aware and careful so that we can have safe roads over the holidays,” he said.
YOCHANAAN COETZEE
Comments
Namibian Sun
No comments have been left on this article