Traffic cop causes accident, assaulted

A traffic police officer was yesterday morning assaulted by motorists and residents of Highfield, Harare, for reportedly causing a commuter omnibus accident in which more than 14 passengers were injured along Willowvale Road.

The policeman was among officers who were manning a roadblock near Delta Beverages' Willowvale Depot in Highfield area.

It is alleged that the officer waved down a kombi driver who plies the City-Canaan/Western Triangle route but he did not stop.

According to witnesses, the driver tried to evade the roadblock, forcing the policeman to use spikes to deflate the vehicle's tyres.

It is alleged this caused the commuter omnibus, which was carrying 18 passengers heading towards the city centre, to overturn and land on its roof.

Several passengers, including school children, were injured. They were taken to Harare Central Hospital for treatment.

After the incident, fellow policemen who were manning the roadblock fled the scene. The offending officer was apprehended by members of the public as he tried to escape.

People took turns to assault the cop for more than an hour before he was rescued by a soldier and another civilian.

Police were later deployed to the area to restore order as people still bayed for the officer's blood.

Chief police spokesperson Senior Assistant Commissioner Charity Charamba said she was still to get details of what transpired.