Three pedestrians were recently killed in two separate road traffic accidents involving haulage trucks along the Harare–Mutare and Harare–Masvingo highways in two days, according to the Zimbabwe Republic Police.
In the first incident, which occurred on 9 January 2026 at the 239km peg along the Harare–Mutare Road, two pedestrians were struck and killed after a collision between a Toyota Lexus and a Shacman haulage truck towing a trailer.
Police said the Toyota Lexus, which had one passenger on board, was travelling towards Mutare behind the Shacman truck. The Lexus attempted to overtake just as the truck was turning right, resulting in the Lexus hitting the truck’s right front corner lamp.
The impact caused the Lexus driver to lose control of the vehicle and veer off the road, where it struck two pedestrians. Both victims died on the spot.
The Shacman truck reportedly stopped briefly after the accident before the driver fled the scene. Police are now pursuing the driver.
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A second fatal accident occurred the following day, 10 January 2026, along the Harare–Masvingo Road, involving a Mercedes-Benz 15-tonne truck towing an empty trailer with foreign registration plates.
According to ZRP, the truck was travelling from Skyline Tollgate towards Harare CBD in the inner lane when the trailer detached and struck a Toyota Hiace commuter omnibus carrying 13 passengers in the outer lane.
The detached trailer then veered off the road and hit three pedestrians. One pedestrian died at the scene, while the other two sustained injuries.
The injured victims were taken to Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals for medical treatment.
The ZRP has urged motorists, particularly haulage truck drivers, to ensure their vehicles and trailers are roadworthy and to exercise extreme caution on the country’s major highways, which continue to record a high number of pedestrian fatalities.
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