Nyanza accident kills four policemen

NYANZA–AT LEAST four policemen were killed when a speeding truck rammed into their Toyota pickup in Mukingo sector, Nyanza district, yesterday morning.

Friday, January 04, 2013
The wreckage of the police Toyota pick-up that was smashed by a speeding truck. The New Times / Courtesy.

NYANZA–AT LEAST four policemen were killed when a speeding truck rammed into their Toyota pickup in Mukingo sector, Nyanza district, yesterday morning.The officers died on the spot, Supt. Hubert Gashagaza, the southern regional police spokesperson, told The New Times.Four other police officers and the truck driver of the ill-fated pick-up number RNP 053N, were also seriously injured. They were, by press time, being treated at King Faisal Hospital, Kigali, and at the University Teaching Hospital of Butare.The cause of the accident involving the Kenyan-registered truck is not yet clear, but Police said they are investing whether it was due to the truck’s poor mechanical condition, which might have led to break failure, or if it was merely due to speeding."Their vehicle was completely smashed,” Supt Gashagaza said of the nature of the accident.The identities of the deceased were not yet available by press time, but they included a Chief Inspector of Police (CIP), sources said.The accident took place at around 10.30 AM, Supt Gashagaza said.Supt Gashagaza said the officers were accompanying the Force’s football team to Rusizi district, Western province, where they were due to play Espoir FC this weekend.