A 34-year-old truck driver has been sentenced to an effective 14 months in prison after a road traffic accident he caused claimed the lives of two people.
The Zvishavane Magistrates’ Court convicted Piniel Ngwarai of culpable homicide following a fatal crash that occurred on 3 August 2025 along the Masvingo–Mbalabala Road.
Prosecutors told the court that at around 4:30 pm, Ngwarai was driving a 15-tonne Volvo truck when he approached a commuter omnibus that had slowed down to make a right turn at the 124-kilometre peg. Due to excessive speed and following too closely, Ngwarai failed to react in time and applied brakes abruptly.
He lost control of the truck, veered into the oncoming lane and collided with a Toyota Town Ace. The heavy truck landed on top of the smaller vehicle, trapping its occupants.
Two people inside the Toyota Town Ace died instantly at the scene.
The court ruled that Ngwarai was negligent, citing excessive speed, failure to maintain a safe following distance and lack of proper lookout as contributing factors to the deadly crash.
Ngwarai was sentenced to 18 months’ imprisonment, with four months suspended, resulting in an effective jail term of 14 months. In addition, the court disqualified him from driving for 12 months and ordered the cancellation of his driver’s licence.
The case underscores the severe consequences of reckless driving, particularly involving heavy commercial vehicles on public roads.
