One dies, 12 others injured in road accident
A police officer has died and 12 other people have sustained multiple injuries in a road accident on Wednesday night involving a Malawi Police Service (MPS) vehicle in Chitipa.
The driver of the Land Cruiser registration MP 2121, Sergeant Kayake Kamkuwe, 36, died on the spot on a sharp bend in Misuku Hills near Kalenge Bridge.
Chitipa Police Station spokesperson Gradwell Simwaka said Kamkuwe failed to negotiate a sharp corner, forcing the car to overturn before hitting a tree few metres away from the road.
“The car overturned and plunged into the bush where it hit a tree which blocked it,” he said.
Kamkuwe, who had 12 people on board, including magistrates, police prosecutors, court support staff, a prison warder and four convicts, was coming from a court sitting at Wilindi Magistrate’s Court in Chief Mwenemisuku.
First grade magistrate Billy Ngosi, who was also in the vehicle, blamed the accident on over-speeding.
He said he did not know what went wrong with the driver who did not heed to advice to reduce speed.
“I argued with the driver, almost twice, right from the time we started off from Misuku Magistrate’s Court, to minimize the speed since we were going home but to no avail,” said Ngosi, who complained of pain in the chest.
Sub-Inspector Fancy Sichali, who led a rescue team to the scene of the accident, said Kamkuwe’s body was hauled from the bottom of the rear side of the car.
Kamkuwe came from Kalolo Village, in Traditional Authority Kalolo in Lilongwe District and is survived by a wife and three children. n
