Chronicle driver death details emerge. . . Suspects to appear in court – herald

Raymond Jaravaza, [email protected]THE vehicle involved in the fatal accident that claimed the life of Zimpapers driver Mr Silas Bhunu had been stolen from a spray-painting workshop where it was undergoing repairs for a previous crash, and the suspects — the driver and his accomplice — are expected to appear in court today facing multiple charges.The late Bhunu was riding a motorcycle when he was struck by a white Toyota GD6 double cab, and died on the spot in the early hours of Sunday morning while reporting for duty.He was 44 and is survived by his wife and three children The vehicle that killed the Zimpapers driver had nine passengers on board and five of them, including the driver, Melusi Nkomo (20) and his accomplice Shelton Dube (19), fled from the scene.Four other passengers, all underage girls, remained in the car and assisted police with investigations, which led to the arrest of Nkomo, Dube and another male passenger after police officers from Bulawayo Traffic West police station sprang into action and began an early morning search for the suspects.Two suspects are still on the run.“Police managed to arrest three of the suspects, who fled the scene hours after the accident happened and a manhunt for the remaining two suspects is still in progress.“The suspects in police custody will appear in court tomorrow (today),” Bulawayo police spokesperson, Inspector Nomalanga Msebele, said.Inspector Nomalanga MsebeleA Zimpapers news crew visited the local spray-painting shop where the car was taken without the owners’ consent and learnt that the security guard who “released” the vehicle to Nkomo and Dube was allegedly paid US$5.“The guy who is the caretaker of the building where we all work, offering different services such as spray painting, welding and a food take-away business, was given US$5 by Shelton, who works here and is familiar with all the cars that are brought in for repairs.“We now understand that last weekend, Shelton paid the caretaker to give him the car keys of the same vehicle and he, together with his friends, went on a joyride in town at night but brought the vehicle back to the workshop early in the morning the following day,” said an employee at the workshop.“The car belongs to a guy I only know as Ncube, it was brought for a spray-painting job after it was involved in an accident in South Africa.“He was supposed to pay the balance of what he was charged and get his car, but now it’s been involved in a serious accident.”Efforts by police to locate the owner of the vehicle are reportedly being hindered as he is not answering his phone.The unlicensed driver, Nkomo, and Dube, both of Nkulumane, will face three charges: culpable homicide, driving without a licence, and driving a motor vehicle without the owner’s consent.“The accident occurred in the early hours of Sunday morning, and within a few hours, the driver and other passengers who had fled the scene were apprehended Officers from Traffic West Police Station did an excellent job in arresting the suspects in the shortest possible time,” said Insp Msebele.The South Africa-registered vehicle and the motorcycle that the late Mr Bhunu rode were both extensively damaged.“Nkomo, who was driving the vehicle with eight passengers on board, encroached into the oncoming lane and struck a motorcyclist The vehicle then lost control and collided with an electricity pole,” she added.Insp Msebele urged motorists to obey the rules and regulations of the road and to always be on the lookout for other road users when driving.“We appeal to drivers to be human enough and desist from fleeing accident scenes and try to assist the injured

Police also urge business owners to make background checks on potential employees to avoid hiring individuals with questionable track records,” she said.Share on FacebookPost on XFollow usSave

Originally published on Zimbabwe Herald

Source: Zimbabwe Herald