S/Phikwe road fatalities escalate
Onalenna Kelebeile | Thursday September 17, 2015 16:18
Superintendent Lekgotla Rankwaila this week said that most of the accidents happened in feeder roads and not the main ones that are always patrolled by the police. He said they have not established the reasons for the escalating statistics, but fear that the number may increase by the end of the year. Rankwaila appealed to motorists to be cautious on the roads and obey traffic laws always, not only when they notice police presence.
The police recorded two fatalities last week. The first accident that involved three vehicles happened along Selebi-Phikwe/Mmadinare road where a Toyota Hilux hit a Fortuner before colliding with a bus. The Hilux driver who was alone was confirmed dead upon arrival at the hospital, while the bus occupants and Fortuner driver escaped unharmed. Rankwaila said they have since engaged car mechanics to establish if there was a fault with the Hilux that veered off its lane to hit cars heading in the opposite direction. In another accident, a man was found dead with broken limbs and head injuries beside the road along the Bobonong/Sefhophe road last Saturday. His car was found in the middle of the road, raising suspicion that it could have developed mechanical faults and that an oncoming vehicle hit him, as he tried to get assistance.
Rankwaila said they are investigating a possible hit and run, and appealed to members of the community to assist them with leads. “Families of the deceased have been notified and post-mortems will be done this week,” he added. Meanwhile, the police started a campaign on seatbelts last April that will continue until December. This is an effort to reinforce safety on the country’s roads.