WALVIS BAY - The police in Erongo region tracked down and detained a 38-year-old driver on Saturday for an alleged road rage incident in which one person died and another got injured.

The incident occurred on Union Street in Walvis Bay.

According to Inspector Ileni Shapumba, the police spokesperson in Erongo, the deceased, identified as Johannes Olavi was driving a silver Toyota Corolla on Union Street from the Diaz circle facing the cemetery in town. The suspect was driving in the same direction on the dual carriageway.

“The suspect allegedly swerved his vehicle to the side of the deceased in an attempt to drive him off the road. The deceased swerved off the road to avoid collision and he lost control of his vehicle, hitting it against a palm tree next to the road,” Shapumba explained.

According to him, Olavi died at the scene while the suspect drove away. A passenger in Olavi‘s car was also admitted to the Walvis Bay State hospital with head injuries but is in stable condition. 

“We traced the driver to his house and detained him for reckless and negligent driving, culpable homicide as well as leaving an accident scene without ascertaining injuries sustained in the accident.”

In another incident, a Swakopmund resident identified as Paul De Sousa died at the turn of at Tsiseb Conservancy office, Uis.

Police said the deceased, who was driving a Hammerstein Drilling company’s vehicle, allegedly lost control at the turnoff.

“The vehicle overturned and rolled several times. As a result, the driver was thrown out of the car and the vehicle landed on its wheels a few metres away from the deceased,” Shapumba explained.

De Sousa died at the scene.

A Swakopmund resident, Doane Madeheim, was found dead by his sister on Friday. Madeheim who was living alone, could not be reached for two days by his sister. This, according to the police, prompted the sister to go to his residence.

She allegedly found all the doors and gates locked but used a remote she had to enter and found his body hanging.

In another incident, Atanasius Kahamba (41) was found dead in his shack at the Twaloloka location in Walvis Bay on Friday.

This follows his concerned friends’ notice that he has not been seen for days and that his phone has not been answered.

“They allegedly last saw him on Wednesday, 15 February 2023 and have since been trying to call him but his number has been ringing unanswered,” Shapumba said.

He said police had to break down his door to gain entrance to his shack and found his decomposing body on his bed.

His next of kin were informed and a post-mortem will be conducted to determine his cause of death.