Truck ploughs into house on Christmas Pass

A haulage truck driver, a passenger and residents of a Fairbridge Park home narrowly escaped death after a truck lost control along Christmas Pass in Mutare early this morning.

The accident occurred around 6am as the truck descended the steep and winding stretch, widely regarded as one of the most dangerous road into the city centre.

According to witnesses, the truck struck a Honda Fit near a BP Service Station before dragging another vehicle for about 10 metres. It then veered off the road, uprooted a tree and crashed into a nearby residential property.

Eyewitnesses said the this was triggered when a private vehicle allegedly cut in front of the truck while exiting the service station. In an attempt to avoid a collision, the driver lost control, sending the heavy vehicle off the road.

Homeowner Sean Smith said the occupants of the house were extremely fortunate to survive.

"They had just moved into the bathroom moments before the truck smashed into the house," he said.

No fatalities were reported, though the incident caused significant property damage and heightened concerns over safety along the notorious mountain pass.

Christmas Pass, a seven-kilometre route linking Mutare to surrounding areas, has a long history of serious accidents due to its sharp curves and steep descent.

In response to the high accident rate, authorities have been developing a 33km bypass to divert heavy haulage trucks away from the accident prone route.