Namibia: Four Die in Accident


The Namibian (Windhoek)

19 December 2007
Posted to the web 19 December 2007

Denver Isaacs
Windhoek

AN accident on the road between Okahandja and Otjiwarongo claimed four lives yesterday afternoon, when a Government vehicle crashed into a hartebeest about 50 km outside Otjiwarongo.

Six people had been travelling in the vehicle, according to the Otjiwarongo Police's Chief Inspector B. Maikhudumu.


Three passengers died on the spot, while a fourth, a two-year-old boy, died in the Otjiwarongo State Hospital.

A fifth passenger survived the accident with minor injuries, while the driver has been transferred to the Windhoek State Hospital, where his condition is described as serious.



The driver was employed in the office of the former President.

A State House official said the driver was on an official trip to the North.

The names of the deceased had not yet been released by the time of going to press, as their families had not yet been informed.

Not surprising as they load up each and every vehicle to the max with people and everything known to mankind.

To my knowledge, my bag with motor vehicles in Africa is:

1 oryx
1 aardwolf
1 steenbok
1 puff adder

Also a couple of "interesting" near misses at night on elephant!

No one was injured but the animals.

BTW, I was not driving!

Whatever the reason or circumstances, may God rest the souls of those that passed and lay His hand on those hurting.

Trophyman

mrlexma,

quote:

Originally posted by mrlexma:
To my knowledge, my bag with motor vehicles in Africa is:

1 oryx
1 aardwolf
1 steenbok
1 puff adder

Also a couple of "interesting" near misses at night on elephant!

No one was injured but the animals.

BTW, I was not driving!

You were unlucky my bag so far consist of only:

1 Klipspringer
1 caracal
1 vervet monkey
* Plenty of bunnies (Some deliberate )
* lots of snakes

And I grew up in the bushveld but I must say had a couple of real close ones with kudu and waterbuck. And I suppose hitting one of them would have lessened my chance of sitting here and typing this post.
Did you or anybody else get hurt with the oryx incident?

Frederik,

No people were hurt in the collision since we were all strapped in. And the bakkie was not damaged because it had a huge tubular steel exoskeleton-like frame on the front end.

The oryx sprinted across the road right in front of us and we hit him full broadside and at speed.

The impact was shockingly hard, sudden and loud.

It was a shame, really, but there was nothing we could do about it.

Driving through the African bush at night is a scary thing. On my hunt this year we had near misses with porcupine, gemsbok, kudu, countless rabbit, donkeys, donkey carts full of natives, duikers and probably other animals that I can't remember right now.

quote:

Originally posted by mrlexma:
To my knowledge, my bag with motor vehicles in Africa is:

1 oryx
1 aardwolf
1 steenbok
1 puff adder

Also a couple of "interesting" near misses at night on elephant!

No one was injured but the animals.

BTW, I was not driving!

We were driveing quite quickly back to camp at night, and I asked the PH Simon, what happens if we come around a corner, and there is a Buffalo standing in the track? He said "that is easy, we stop!" Then he said, "What you have to be careful about is elephant! They do not reflect the light form the head lamps,so you don't see them till it's too late, and when you hit them, you hit their legs. Hitting their legs dumps the ele on top of the vehicle, usually killing everyone on board"

I had a PH in South Africa that hit a kudu at night going full speed between Kimberley and Douglas. It came through the windshield and broke both of his wife's arms and severely injured her. She was in the hospital for some time but recovered. He was uninjured. I also had a female friend from high school and college days that was in a small sports car that hit a cow elk at night while she and her fiance were returning home from meeting her fiance's parents. She was not so lucky. The cow elk came through the windshield and she died at the scene at the age of 20.

That would be about right.