Three Teens, One Other Die In Road Mishap

Pini Bothoko | Monday March 30, 2020 19:13

 

The Toyota Runx had five people on board including the driver, a 20-year-old. Four of the teenagers were males and a teenage girl. Confirming the accident, the district traffic officer Boiki Mojalemotho told The Monitor that the accident occurred in the morning at around 6am.

“The Toyota Runx was from Molepolole side heading to Gaborone while the Toyota Land Cruiser was turning to Mmopane side from Mogoditshane side. The Land Cruiser only had one occupant, the driver who is seriously injured and is hospitalised,” he said.

Mojalemotho said investigations into the matter were still ongoing to establish what could have caused the accident. However, the traffic boss said the traffic lights were not working and it looks like one of the two drivers did not obey the ‘first come, first go rule’.

“It is clear, when the traffic lights are not working, drivers should apply the first come, first go rule. The person who arrives first by the non-functioning traffic lights is the one that should leave first but in this case it seems like they failed to give each other that chance, which resulted in their cars colliding,” he said.

The Toyota Runx driver (a 20-year-old) and an 18-year-old girl, who was seated on the front passenger seat, were confirmed dead by the doctors on arrival at Bokamoso Private Hospital.

Mojalemotho further stated that on Saturday evening the other two teenagers, aged 17 and 19 all males, who were hospitalised in intensive care unit, were also confirmed dead.

“The youngest amongst them was 17-years-old. The sole survivor, who has sustained serious injuries, is hospitalised and recuperating at Bokamoso Private Hospital,” he said.

Asked if the teenagers were under the influence of alcohol when the accident occurred, the traffic boss said the investigations to establish that were ongoing, but it appeared like they had spent Friday night on the spree.

Further quizzed if the 20-year-old deceased driver had a driver’s licence, Mojalemotho said the investigations into the matter were still at initial stages, and that they were yet to establish other factors.

He observed that drivers’ impatience on the road, excessive speed, not obeying the road signs, drinking and driving are behind escalating road fatalities.

Mojalemotho said the upsurge in fatal road accidents worries the police as people, especially the youth, continue to lose their lives on a daily basis in road-related incident despite interventions.