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Shamiso Dzingire Court Reporter
A MOTORIST who allegedly fatally struck a pedestrian along Siyepambili Drive in Bulawayo has been arrested after another motorist captured the vehicle’s registration number.

Law Mudzimirema of Cowdray Park suburb ran over Thamsanqa Joseph Ndlovu, 68, near Petshiwe Beer Garden in Nkulumane on August 9 at around 12AM.

Police tracked down the vehicle through the Central Vehicle Registry and arrested him.

Mudzimirema, a bus conductor at AJ Motorways, appeared before Western Commonage Magistrate Themba Chimiso facing three charges – one of culpable homicide, failing to stop after an accident and failure to report an accident to the police within 24 hours.

Magistrate Chimiso did not ask Mudzimirema to plead and remanded him in custody to September 11.

Prosecuting, Tony Kamudyariwa said on August 9 at around midnight, Mudzimirema was driving a Mazda B1800.

He said on approaching Petshiwe Beer Garden, Mudzimirema, who was speeding, hit Ndlovu who was crossing the road and he sustained serious head injuries and died on the spot.

“He didn’t stop after the accident and was chased by another motorist, Morris Moyo who noted down Mudzimirema’s vehicle registration number,” Kamudyariwa said.

Police from Nkulumane traffic attended the scene and Ndlovu’s body was taken to the United Bulawayo Hospital for postmortem, the court heard.

A postmortem report produced in court indicated that the cause of death was medullary and traumatic shock, multiple bone fractures and severe head, thoracic and abdominal trauma due to the accident.

The court heard how police tracked down the vehicle using the Central Vehicle Registry leading to the recovery of the car which had a shattered windscreen, a deformed bonnet and a broken right side head lamp.

Kamudyariwa said Mudzimirema acted negligently by travelling at an excessive speed, failing to keep a proper lookout under the circumstances and failing to stop when an accident seemed imminent.