Mashudu Netsianda, Senior Reporter
FORTY-EIGHT people cheated death yesterday when a Harare-bound bus ploughed into a Toyota Land Cruiser and overturned along the Bulawayo-Harare road near Cement Siding.
Four people were injured, one of them seriously, in the accident involving the bus from Kurai Bus Company and the Toyota Land Cruiser.  Both vehicles were going in the same direction.

Three of those who were injured were on the bus and one was in the Land Cruiser, that allegedly tried to turn right when the bus driver decided to overtake shortly after 11.30 AM at the 14km peg near Cement Siding in Bulawayo.

The driver of the bus, Mr Tawanda Munikwa, said he was not aware of the Toyota Land Cruiser driver’s intention to turn right.

“I was travelling from Bulawayo to Harare and on approaching the 14km peg I tried to overtake a Toyota Land Cruiser which was ahead, hitting it in the process and the bus overturned. I didn’t notice that the driver of the light vehicle had indicated that he was turning right,” said Mr Munikwa.

The driver of the Toyota Land Cruiser, Mr Ngoni Choruma (47) said one of his passengers who was seated at the back of his vehicle was thrown out of the car and sustained serious injuries. He was taken to the United Bulawayo Hospitals.

“I indicated turning right and realised that there was a speeding bus which was behind me. It tried to overtake me but it was too late as it rammed into my car and one of my passengers who was at the back was thrown out,” he said.

Chief Bulawayo fire officer, Mr Richard Peterson said the bus was carrying 45 passengers while the Toyota Land Cruiser had three people on board and both vehicles were heading in the same direction.

“I can confirm that there was an accident near Cement Siding a few kilometres outside Bulawayo and no one died,” he said.

When a Chronicle news crew visited the scene of the accident, police were controlling traffic while the Toyota was being towed away by a recovery vehicle.

The chairman of Fairstar Residents Association, Mr Lifa Hwara, said the area has turned into a black spot.

“We’ve on several occasions written letters to the Ministry of Transport so that they put vehicle control mechanisms in place to ensure that motorists reduce speed, but to no avail. We’ve children from nearby Fairbridge Primary School who have to cross the same road every day and they’re also at risk,” he said.

Mr Hwara urged police to increase their visibility in the area so that they control traffic.

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