ZRP officer was behind the wheel in Chinhoyi horrific crash aftern impounding vehicle, death toll rises to seven
A ZIMBABWE Republic Police (ZRP) officer was involved in a fatal head-on collision while driving a vehicle he had impounded from an alleged traffic offender causing several fatalities.
The accident which occurred at the 109km peg
along the Harare-Chirundu road, near the
Mashonaland West Provincial Heroes Acre on
Thursday afternoon left six people dead on the
spot.
Latest information as confirmed by the police is
that the death toll has risen to seven after
another victim succumbed to injuries sustained
in the accident while receiving treatment at
Chinhoyi Provincial Hospital.
Ten other victims are hospitalised.
In a statement this Friday, ZRP national
spokesperson said investigations into the tragic
incident are still ongoing, but insisted that the
late cop’s, whose actions eyewitnesses blamed
for the fatalities, were lawful.
“ZRP confirms that investigations are currently
underway in connection with the death of seven
people in a fatal road traffic accident at the
109km peg along Harare-Chirundu Road, near
Chinhoyi Heroes’ Acre on 16 July 2026. The
accident involved a Nissan AD van and Nissan
NV350 commuter omnibus” said Nyathi.
“ZRP reiterates that it is legal and lawful for a
police officer to impound vehicles involved in
traffic violations and related criminal acts to a
secure place which in this case is a police
station,” said Nyathi.
He added that drivers must comply, avoid
resisting arrest, fighting police officers,
defeating or obstructing the course of justice.
This Nissan AD Van operating between Banket and Chinhoyi was stopped by a ZRP officer. The officer instructed the driver to surrender control of the vehicle, saying that he would drive it to drop off passengers in town before proceeding to Chinhoyi Central Police Station. The driver reportedly refused and insisted that he should remain in control of his own vehicle.
However, the driver was forcibly removed from the driver’s seat and the police officer took over driving the vehicle. Shortly after driving off, the Nissan AD Van was involved in a head-on collision with a kombi that was overtaking another vehicle.
