KAHENGE – Police in Kavango West have cautioned motorists travelling at night to be careful when driving along the Rundu-Nkurenkuru road where some vehicles have recently crashed into livestock and also elephants as could be attested by an incident on Wednesday night.

In recent years Kavango West has seen a huge number of marauding elephants causing havoc everywhere and several reports of accidents involving cars have been recorded, especially last year and sometime this year, and on Wednesday night the police were called to the scene at 21h00 at Katara village on the Rundu-Nkurenkuru main road, where a 4X4 Nissan double cab bakkie had just crashed into an elephant that was among a herd of jumbos crossing the road.

A case of reckless, alternatively negligent, driving was opened against the driver of the vehicle with the registration N1135NK, that was travelling from east to west and upon reaching Katara village the driver crashed into an elephant causing the occupants to sustain serious injuries, with serious damage to the vehicle.

“The driver was identified as Sindimba Johannes Kudumo, a 54-year-old man, from Katara village and he was travelling with a male passenger Josef Simbombo of unknown age but he is said to be residing at Nkonke village here in Kavango West,” said Kavango West Police Deputy Commissioner, Rudolf Mutonga.

According to Mutonga, the driver who also sustained serious injuries, was transferred to Rundu hospital during the night while the passenger was admitted at Nankudu hospital at Nankudu village some 20 km east of Nkurenkuru.

In June this year another driver bumped into an elephant that was crossing a road on a migratory route for these pachyderms. The route intersects the Rundu-Nkurenkuru road. In retaliation the elephant charged the vehicle, lifted it up and smashed it into the ground like a matchbox, notwithstanding the fact the vehicle and passengers possibly weighed a tonne or more.