Two separate truck crashes on Windhoek’s Western Bypass yesterday morning left one driver dead, two injured, and 21 head of cattle killed on a hazardous stretch.
The accidents took place on the road near the University of Namibia. Khomas crime investigation coordinator deputy commissioner Frederick Ndjadila yesterday said construction is underway in the area.
“The direction of normal flow is bad, according to those on the ground,” he said.
Ndjadila said a truck with a South African registration number overturned, killing the driver at the scene and leaving the passenger seriously injured.
The driver of another truck, registered at Keetmanshoop, was also seriously injured and lost a leg.
“They were taken to Lady Pohamba Private Hospital for medical treatment,” Ndjadila said.
One truck was reportedly transporting 96 head of cattle while the other was carrying fruit juice. Ndjadila said 21 animals died in the crash, while the remaining cattle scattered into nearby bushes.
“They are yet to be found,” he said.
Ndjadila said the owner of the cattle and the farm where they were being transported from are still unknown.
Road user Tauno Simeon says the road itself is not in poor condition but is dangerous because of its sharp curves and steep descent.
He says accidents are likely to occur.
“It is very dangerous, especially for someone driving there for the first time. I’ve had a bad experience one time I drove on the road,” he says.
Simeon says drivers who ignore road signs and speed up are more likely to be involved in road accidents.
The Roads Authority did not respond to a request for comment at the time of going to print yesterday.
Khomas police spokesperson Elifas Kuwinga yesterday said the accidents took place in the same area at different times.
He said the two trucks were travelling in opposite directions.
“The preliminary report shows it was not a head-on collision,” he said.
Kuwinga said the company the trucks belong to is unknown.
