1 killed, 17 injured in Harare crash

One person died while 17 others were injured in a horrific road traffic accident in central Harare on Saturday after a motorist allegedly drove through a red traffic light, resulting in a violent collision.

The crash occurred at the busy intersection of Josiah Tongogara Avenue and Leopold Takawira Street, and involved a Toyota Regius commuter omnibus and a Nissan Vanette.

Confirming the incident, Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) national spokesperson, Commissioner Paul Nyathi, said the accident was caused by reckless driving.

"The ZRP confirms a fatal road traffic accident which occurred at the intersection of Josiah Tongogara Avenue and Leopold Takawira Street in Harare on November 1, 2025," said Commissioner Nyathi.

"The accident involved a Toyota Regius commuter omnibus, which was travelling along Leopold Takawira Road towards the CBD with 15 passengers on board, and a Nissan Vanette vehicle, which was travelling along Josiah Tongogara Road towards Dzivarasekwa."

Preliminary investigations revealed that the Nissan Vanette driver ignored a red traffic light, colliding with the commuter omnibus in the middle of the intersection.

"As a result, one passenger from the commuter omnibus died on the spot, while 17 others were injured," Commissioner Nyathi said.

The body of the deceased was taken to Parirenyatwa Hospital for post-mortem, while the injured were also admitted to the same hospital for treatment.

Commissioner Nyathi reiterated the police's call for motorists to exercise extreme caution and adhere to road traffic regulations, warning that reckless driving continued to claim lives and cause unnecessary suffering.

The latest crash adds to growing concerns over road rule violations in urban centres, particularly at robot-controlled intersections, where disregard for traffic signals has become a frequent cause of accidents.