Road crashes claim five lives in Oshikoto

A woman and three children died after the pick-up truck they were traveling in collided with a sedan on the B1 road some 15 kilometres from Oshivelo in the Oshikoto region on Sunday.

The Namibian Police's commander in Oshikoto, commissioner Armas Shivute, confirmed the incident to Nampa on Monday, saying it occurred at around 12h00.

“The driver of the sedan was trying to overtake the pick-up [while] the driver of the pick-up truck at the same time also tried to overtake another vehicle in front without checking and the two vehicles collided and overturned after their drivers lost control over them,” said Shivute.

According to Shivute, the people who died in the incident were in the pick-up along with two other adults, including the driver, who survived with serious injuries and was taken to Omuthiya District Hospital for treatment.

The three occupants of the sedan sustained no injuries, Shivute said.

The four people who died have been identified as Jaqueline Nehepo Nghilondonanye (21), Tutungeni Vladimir Ileka (9), Tulongeni Anatoly Madvedve Ileka (3) and the two-year-old Sergey Tupanduleni Lavron Ileka.

Shivute also reported another fatality after a passenger in a sports utility vehicle died after the vehicle overturned when its 21-year-old driver lost control over it on the Tsintsabis-Mpungu road, also on Sunday.

Six people, including the driver and the 71-year-old Johannes Mweshilitwa, who was killed in the accident, were in the vehicle. Two of the occupants of the vehicle sustained injuries and were admitted to Lombard Hospital at Tsumeb in a stable condition.

Police investigations of both incidents continue.