Speeding vehicle kills traffic policeman near church gate
Staff Writer
A police officer Corporal F-1095 Augustino died on the spot when a speeding vehicle rammed him down together with other two cops adjacent to the Anglican Cathedral along Nyerere road in Arusha City.
The Arusha Regional Police Commander Mr Liberatus Sabas, told the press that the incident occurred last week on Friday, June 7, afternoon when a Toyota Gaia motor vehicle with registration numbers T-992 BFG being driven by Mr Michael-Emmanual Sarakikya lost control and swerved onto the roadside, crashing into the cops.
The 31-year-old, Mr Sarakikya, driver of the ill fated car is a resident of Nkoaranga area of Meru District. He was held at the Central Police Station for interrogations regarding the incident before being taken to court.
According to initial police reports, the late Corporal Augustine together with his two colleagues, Corporal Gabriel E-6519 and Corporal Ismael F-3544 who were stationed in front of the Anglican Church gates at the intersection of Nyerere and Kanisa roads had just waved down a town commuter van for inspection.
And just as the cops were busy talking to the passenger van driver, the Toyota Gaia MPV which was cruising along Nyerere road lost control and veered towards them, hitting the van and plunging into the three cops as well as the iinibus driver, throwing their bodies in different directions.
Corporal Augustine died on the spot while the other two cops together with the van driver, were seriously injured. The three were rushed to Mount-Meru hospital for treatment. The injured policemen were subsequently transferred to the Arusha Medical Centre. By the time we went to press one of them had already been discharged.
Cases of out-of-control vehicles ramming into people or buildings are not new here, only a week ago a Toyota Coaster bus crashed into the Evangelical Lutheran Town Church gates along Goliondoi road and proceeded to hit the cathedral walls. No one was hurt in the ordeal.
In another incident, a motorcycle rider who formed part of the motorcade escorting the Uhuru Torch race from Karatu District to Monduli, escaped narrowly when his bike lost control as he sped alongside vehicles making the entourage near Mto-wa-mbu. He suffered minor injuries from the accident. |
