Police have launched a manhunt for motorists who were involved in hit-and-run road traffic accidents before speeding off from the scenes without rendering assistance to the pedestrians they ran over.
Most of the pedestrians were killed while others were injured in separate incidents countrywide.
National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi said they were concerned with such cases and are appealing to the public with information that might assist them to track down these errant drivers.
He reiterated that motorists should stop when involved in road traffic accidents, assist the injured if necessary and report all accidents to the police within 24 hours.
“The ZRP is investigating a fatal hit-and-run road traffic accident in which an unknown man aged approximately 40 years was hit by an unknown motorist driving an unidentified vehicle on December 27, 2022 at the 47 km peg along Gweru-Mandamabwe Road near Mutevekwi Bridge.
“The victim died on the spot and the motorist did not stop. Similarly, on December 28, 2022, the body of a 29-year-old man was found lying on the road side with multiple fractures, at the 402 km peg along Harare-Bulawayo Road. Some tyre-marks and vehicle fragments were observed at the accident scene,” he said.
Asst Comm Nyathi confirmed another fatal accident that occurred at the 300km peg along Bulawayo-Victoria Falls Road on Christmas Day at around 7.45pm.
“A motorist, who was driving a Toyota Hilux vehicle with three passengers on board towards Victoria Falls, lost control of the car and veered off the road to the left, where he ran over seven pedestrians before swerving to the right side where he rammed onto a stationary Honda Fit vehicle which had six passengers.
“The Honda Fit vehicle overturned once and landed on its roof. As a result, three people (two pedestrians and one passenger from the Honda Fit vehicle) died, while 13 others were injured,” he said.
Police are also appealing for information which may assist in the investigations of a serious hit-and-run road traffic accident which occurred on December 20, 2022 at around 3am along Chiduku Road Rusape, opposite Vengere Musika.
An unknown motorist hit a man aged 47 and did not stop after the accident. The victim sustained serious multiple injuries all over the body.
In another hit-and-run road traffic accident, a 30-year-old Bulawayo man sustained injuries on the ankle after being run over by the left wheel of a Honda Fit vehicle he was disembarking from, at the intersection of Intemba Rd and an unnamed road in Nkulumane on December 20.
The driver did not stop.
Police in Bulawayo are investigating another hit-and-run fatal road traffic accident in which an unknown motorist hit a man aged between 30 and 35 years along 12th Avenue at around 2am on December 18. – The Herald
