Four Perish In Road Mishap
Pini Bothoko | Monday November 23, 2020 17:26
No 8 District traffic officer, superintendent Bakani Taleyana confirmed to The Monitor his office was investigating the accident. He stated the crash occurred at around 8am.
Taleyana said the quartet’s Toyota Altezza that had four people on board, including the driver, overturned killing three on the spot. Furthermore, Taleyana said the other passenger who had sustained serious injuries was rushed to Nyangabgwe Referral Hospital where he succumbed to injuries yesterday morning.
“It looks like the quartet had a long night entertaining themselves at the cattle post in the outskirts of Letlhakane.
They met their fate after leaving the cattle post at around 7am driving back to Orapa. Our preliminary investigations revealed that they had a long night after arriving at the cattle posts at around 3am whilst entertaining themselves,” he said.
Taleyana added they suspect the quartet was asleep because the car veered off the road until it overturned in the bush. He said three of the deceased appear to be siblings or relatives because they used the same surname. “The 22-year-old driver did not have a driver’s licence. The other passengers were aged 20, 23 and 35. The deceased’s names are still withheld until we have notified all of the next of kin, but they hail from Letlhakane,” he said.
The traffic boss said fatal accidents continue to be the country’s major problem and remain the leading cause of death amongst citizens, especially the youth. Taleyana implored the drivers to exercise caution at all times as there are no freeways in Botswana.
He said since the festive mood has started, drivers’ excitement is of concern on the roads, something that calls for vigilance at all times. Taleyana revealed that road fatalities are a major concern in his policing area and asked motorists to be cautious, observe road signs and to avoid drinking and driving.
“Usually the fatal accidents involve people on transit either travelling from Maun to Gaborone or vice-versa. I am pleading with motorists driving long distances to consider stopping on the way and have a rest before they continue with their journey,” he said.
He singled out speeding as the leading cause factor, noting that young drivers like to compete on the road and overtake unnecessarily.