Man dies in Western Bypass crash

One man died on impact while six other people sustained injuries when three vehicles collided on Windhoek’s Western Bypass road yesterday morning.
A City Police spokesperson, Assistant Superintendent Cillie Auala, said the incident occurred before 07:00.
Witnesses told police at the scene that a grey Toyota sedan coming from the direction of Khomasdal indicated to turn left into Pionierspark.
The driver of the Toyota then changed his mind and drove straight ahead when the second vehicle, a Corsa bakkie which was turning onto the Western Bypass, drove into it, killing the driver of the sedan.
The third vehicle, a Ford Ranger bakkie that was approaching from the south, could not stop in time and crashed into the two cars.
The driver of that vehicle escaped unharmed. The six people who sustained injuries were rushed to the Katutura Intermediate Hospital.
Auala described the incident as a case of human error.
This was the third fatal accident in three days. On Sunday afternoon, five died in an accident 10km from Usakos when a bakkie collided head on with a sedan.
Police spokesperson Deputy Commissioner Edwin Kanguatjivi identified the deceased as Olavi Shiyoleni Asser (40), Diana Tjavaua (17) and Maria Beulah Hoases (55). The remaining two victims, aged 24 and 51, haven’t yet been named. Kanguatjivi said four people died upon impact and the fifth died on the way to the hospital in Usakos.
The Minister of Works and Transport, Alpheus !Naruseb, said preliminary reports indicated that the sedan’s tyre burst, causing the driver to lose control and veer into oncoming traffic.
Subsequent to that crash, a second accident took place 15km from the scene of the first, resulting in two fatalities and six injured.
“Reportedly, with the occurrence of the second crash there was not sufficient emergency medical response services available to attend to the injured because all the service providers had conveyed the injured from the first crash to medical facilities,” the minister said.
“This is a major concern, a situation that poses a huge risk to the nation in cases of calamities. Namibia needs to fast-track the development of adequate emergency medical care centres at strategic locations.”
Teams have been dispatched to investigate the two accidents near Usakos.
The minister urged drivers to be vigilant, adhere to the rules of the road and buckle up.
“It is everybody’s responsibility and should not be left to the road safety partners – it includes you and me,” he said.
NAMPA