Police investigations have revealed that the Seabelo Express bus driver was responsible for the deaths of five passengers who perished in a road accident near Bobonong junction some 25 kilometers from Palapye when a bus and a tipper truck had a broadside collision.
The accident happened after an effort to avoid a head on collision along the Gaborone Francistown road recently.
Speaking to The Telegraph this week, Assistant Superintendent Robert Mmese of Palapye police station, said investigations have turned out proof that the bus driver was at fault. He said the investigations revealed that before the accident occurred, the bus was following a van that made a left turn while the bus passed the van on the right hand side.
He said the 65-seater bus was traveling from Francistown to Gaborone when the bus driver tried to avoid a head on collision with the oncoming tipper truck that resulted in broadside collision between the bus and the tipper that claimed the lives of five passengers and a bus driver .
Mmese said the investigation has revealed that the bus was traveling at a high speed, adding that he was unable to state the exact speed the bus was traveling at as he was awaiting the final report from the chief investigator from Gaborone.
“What will happen is that the police will open up an inquest docket which will eventually be closed, the reasoning been that the bus driver was also among those who died in the accident. There is therefore no suspect,” he said.
He said so far there are about two passengers who are still hospitalised; one at Princess Marina in Gaborone and the other in Palapye Hospital.
“Their condition is stable,” said Mmese.
Mmese stated they will be intensifying their highway patrols and they will be targeting public transporters as they have noticed that they travel at high speeds which he described as unacceptable.
He further stated that high way patrol personnel will use modern inbuilt speed trap vehicles because motorists alert each other thereby defeating efforts to curb high speed driving.
He urged motorists to always obey road signs and reduce speed.
The five dead passengers were buried over the weekend in their various home villages.
Meanwhile Seabelo Express Spokesperson Neo Tlhaselo declined to comment.
