Accident caused by drink driving

By JIMMY KALEBE
AN accident at Nasuapum outside Lae that eventually claimed eight lives two weeks ago was allegedly caused by drink driving, a senior police officer has claimed.
Morobepolice commander Chief Superintendent Augustine Wampe, pictured, yesterday said the driver of the LandCruiser that collided with a PMV was allegedly “heavily drunk and had no rest” prior to the accident.
The PMV bus driver was the eighth to die at theAngau Memorial Hospital. Seven died on the day of accident.
Wampe after investigations claimed the fault was with the Land Cruiser driver who was travelling at a very high speed from Lae to Nadzab to drop off passengers at the airport.
“The driver was drunk and while driving he fell asleep and the vehicle headed off the road and in the course of that, he swung the steering hard. It went into the other lane and smashed into the on-coming PMV bus, resulting in the deaths,” he said.
Wampe said the family that died in the accident was supposed to be transported to the airport in another vehicle but the driver insisted he take them there.
Two teachers, their children between the ages of one and four, along with their baby sitter, died in that accident.
They were returning to the Komba LLG in the Kabwum district after spending Christmas in Lae.
Wampesaid the Land Cruiser driver was still hiding.
He called on the driver to come forward and surrender to police for his own safety.