Speeding driver kills 3 on New Year’s Day, on the run

A speeding driver has killed three people early in the morning on New Year Day and police are hunting for him after he run away leaving his severely vehicle near Bingu Stadium in Lilongwe.

Lingadzi police spokesperson Gift Chitowe said the unknown driver, who was driving a Golf polo type of car registration number DA 8973, hit a bicycle taxi driver who carried a passenger and killed the two instantly.

“After the accident, he swayed from the right hand side to the left where he hit another person and was announced dead on arrival at Kamuzu Central Hospital,” said Chitowe.

He said the police have intensified a manhunt for the killer  driver.

Chitowro said the unknown driver was driving from Area 18 round about to Bingu Stadium on the newly constructed road.

“Only one victim has been identified and she is Sheilla Banda,” he said.

Some eye witnesses said the driver was very drunk although he managed to flee the scene of the accident.

The accident comes after Malawi Police reported that road traffic accidents in the country sharply increased by 35 out of every 100 in 2018 to 4 879 cases compared to 3 626 recorded in 2017.

Meanwhile, Senior Deputy Commissioner of Police Stan Kaliza  has assured that police will in the New Year 2019 double efforts to minimise road accidents and ensure that people’s lives and property are saved.

Kaliza urged motorists to drive responsibly and share the road with other road users, including pedestrians and cyclists.

He mentioned exceeding the speed limit, driving under the influence of alcohol, failure to observe road signs and other malpractices as major contributing factors to the rise in road accidents.

Kaliza also said use of unroadworthy vehicles and unlicensed drivers were other challenges frustrating efforts to reduce road accidents.