Two drives located after accidents in which they drove off to avoid

One driver allegedly made a false declaration in accident report

Floris Steenkamp

 

The days are seemingly numbered for drivers who make accidents in Walvis Bay and then simply driving off to escape taking responsibility for damages or also evading being arrested.
The man who drove over the pavement in front of the Walvis Bay tourism centre on Wednesday evening (corner of 5th Road and Union Street) were identified and arrested on Thursday afternoon. The arrest is thanks to surveillance camera footage (CCTV) and the assistance with follow-up efforts by 518 Neigh-borhood Watch and the vigilance of a member of a watch group in Fairways Estate. This watch group concentrates on a small scale on the security of one of the gated communities. The name of the watch group can therefore not be made public, in order to protect the group’s anti-crime strategy.
It was confirmed the driver was issued a hefty fine by the municipal traffic department, his vehicle was declared un-roadworthy and he was also slammed with an account by the municipality of Walvis Bay for the damage the accident caused to public property.
“The message is clear now. There are areas in the harbour town where surveillance cameras are watching your every move and the law enforcers leave no stone unturned to bring these drivers to the book if footage are made available”, a spokesperson for 518 Neighborhood Watch said yesterday.
Adding 518 Neighborhood Watch are thankful for the swift action taken by the Walvis Bay municipal traffic unit as well as members of the Namibian Police in bringing these culprits to the book.
In the second accident on Thursday morning, where a driver crashed his vehicle through the Botswana Dry Port’s palisade fence, the identity of the driver could be established. This crash too was recorded on CCTV. Although the driver is still at large, he is believed to have also made a false statement in his sub-sequent accident report. The driver is urged to report himself at the Walvis Bay traffic offices, so that his case can be processed.
“We will not tolerate reckless driving on Walvis Bay’s streets anymore. Law enforcement initiatives are growing and we maintain a zero-tolerance approach to drunken driving, reckless negligent driving and the disregard to traffic rules and regulations”, a source at the municipal traffic department who was closely involved with the above investigations said yesterday.
He called upon road users in Walvis Bay to step up efforts to increase road safety. “Adhere to stop signs, wear your safety belt, don’t use a cell phone whilst driving and ensure your vehicle is roadworthy (number plates in particular remains a concern) and keep to the speed limit”, said this official.