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Conrad Mupesa Herald Correspondent

Police have released names of two Chinhoyi University of Technology (CUT) students and four other passengers who died on the spot, after their car rammed into a haulage truck on Friday near Banket.

The students are Gerald Chonzi (24) of 13489 Kuwadzana Extension, Harare, and Innocent Makoni (24) of 673 Marimba Park, Harare.

Other passengers were Norman Makaripe, his wife Tinotenda Mukuka and their two-year-old son of 3501 Manyame Park, Chitungwiza, and another passenger only identified as Monalisa Mutemachana.

The driver of the haulage truck, Nicholas Nyamadzawo, was not injured.

National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi said the horrific accident occurred on the 75-kilometre peg along the Harare-Chirundu Highway, resulting in the death of the six on the spot.

“I can confirm that six people died on the spot when their Nissan Bluebird Sylphy Reg No ADJ 6886 rammed into a Freightliner haulage truck Reg No AES 5455 on Friday afternoon,” he said.

Chonzi, who was driving the Nissan Sylphy travelling to Chinhoyi, saw a vehicle which was about to overtake the haulage truck and in a bid to avoid a head on collision drove to the far left side of the road.

“After the vehicle, which was trying to overtake the haulage truck had passed, he tried to control his vehicle and get back to the road, but failed, resulting in a head-on collision with the truck,” said Asst Comm Nyathi.

“Their vehicle was trapped under the haulage truck, killing all the six occupants on the spot.”

The fourth-year students were on vacation and had decided to drive to Chinhoyi to collect their belongings where they used to lodge last semester after hearing that universities were no longer reopening.

Last year, CUT lost some other students in separate road accidents, with one of the incidents seeing two learners being hit by a car, which was being driven by a fellow student in one of Chinhoyi’s high density suburb. The accident occurred a few days after an accounting student was run-over by the institution’s shuttle-bus, as the students were jostling to board the bus on their way home.