Deadly New Year crashes
Deadly New Year crashes

Deadly New Year crashes

Jemima Beukes
An elderly South African couple died and a 14-year-old girl sustained serious injuries in a head-on collision on Sunday morning on the Gaub Pass between Walvis Bay and Solitaire.

According to the police's spokesperson Chief Inspector Kauna Shikwambi, one of the vehicles, a Toyota Land Cruiser, carried four French nationals driven by a Namibian driver while the other vehicle, a Jeep, was driven by the victims.

“It is alleged that the driver of the Jeep overtook at a blind spot on a hill, resulting in the head-on collision,” she said.

She added that all French tourists were injured and transported to the Welwitschia Hospital at Walvis Bay.





Their next of kin are not yet informed and investigations continue.

Meanwhile, two men died in the crash which involved Deputy Prime Minister Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah on Thursday afternoon en route to Tsumeb from Oshivelo.

The minister is still admitted in the Medi-Clinic Private Hospital.

Another motor vehicle accident took place at the Dordabis turn-off on Friday afternoon. According to pictures on social media one vehicle landed on its side while another came to a standstill in the bushes next to the road.

The police could however not provide any information regarding this accident.

In a separate incident a 35-year-old Okahandja man identified as Raul Roberto Daniels, died in the local hospital after he rammed into a decelerating train at the town last week.

The incident was confirmed by Otjozondjupa police spokesperson Maureen Mbeha.

According to Mbeha, the driver of the train and his passengers did not sustain any injuries.

“It is alleged that the deceased failed to stop at the railway crossing stop sign,” she said.

According to her the train travelled from Windhoek.

A case of culpable homicide is being investigated.

Meanwhile, at Usakos a 21-year-old man sustained serious leg injuries after he was run over by a train.

The victim reportedly sat on the railway line and was run over by a train travelling from Walvis Bay to Windhoek.

The victim was taken to Usakos State Hospital and subsequently transferred to Katutura State Hospital for further treatment. Investigations continue.

In a separate incident a well-known 58-year-old Omaruru businessman Heiner Dörgeloh drowned south of Walvis Bay at the Pelican point when the car he was travelling in landed in the sea.

The Erongo Region's crime investigations coordinator, Deputy Commissioner Erastus Iikuyu confirmed the incident which took place on Saturday.

According to Iikuyu, the vehicle the deceased was travelling in, an orange Land Cruiser, went down an embankment and into the sea where it was swept away.

Dörgeloh, however, as a result of his disability, could not escape from the vehicle and eventually drowned in it.

“The vehicle is still under water,” said Iikuyu.

The deceased's body was recovered and was taken to the Walvis Bay police mortuary for a post-mortem. The vehicle has not been recovered yet. Police investigations into the matter continue.

In a separate incident, a 42-year-old disabled man identified as Mario Donwell Rigardo Feris burnt to death in the house he was staying in at Rehoboth on Sunday morning.

Hardap regional crime investigations coordinator, Deputy Commissioner Eric Clay confirmed the accident.

According to him, the owner of the house left her three children aged three, seven and nine with the deceased to have coffee at her sister's house nearby.

“After half an hour she was called by a passer-by that her house is on fire. The fire started at the room where the disabled man was sleeping. Attempts to bring the fire under control were futile.”

-Additional reporting by Des Erasmus and Jessica Botes

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Namibian Sun 2025-06-07

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