Female security crushed to death by stationary cross-border bus
Parked Swiss Express bus suddenly rolled out of driver’s control at Beitbridge border post
By Staff Reporter
A female security guard was crushed by a Swiss Express bus which suddenly rolled out of its driver’s control while stationary at Beitbridge border post Wednesday evening.
The incident, according to witnesses, happened at around 7.50pm.
The crossborder bus travelling from Bulawayo to Johannesburg was on the Zimbabwe side of the border.
Passengers had exited to have their passports stamped by customs.
Reports say in the bus was just the driver and an elderly male passenger at the time.
The bus dragged the security guard who was manning the boom-gate with its rear wheels before coming to a stop after crashing on a concrete shade.
Witnesses said the less fortunate victim was alive for some minutes but shocked onlookers failed to assist until she passed on.
There were no emergency services in sight.
“It’s difficult to understand what happened next, some said the bus has complicated air brakes which failed, while others suspected the driver forgot to apply the handbrake and either slept or took his foot off the brake pedal causing the bus to roll forward,” a witness said.
“I’m leaning on driver error because the bus was drivable when an officer from the Vehicle Inspection Department moved it from the boom gate.”
A recovery truck was used to lift the rear of the bus to allow police to recover the body of the victim.
The Swiss Express bus passengers were later put on buses from other companies to complete their journey.
