THENGWE – Ms Tambudzani Ndou (59) of Thengwe-Madzivhanani Vil-lage, outside Tshilamba, got the shock of her life last Friday night when a police van crashed into her family’s three-roomed house.

The house was still visibly damaged when Mirror visited the family on Sunday. The house, which is situated next to a busy public road, was the second to be damaged following the incident in which a bakery delivery vehicle crashed into another house at a neighbouring Mafukani Village last month.

Ndou said the house belongs to her son Kenneth, who works in Gauteng, and he was not around when the incident occurred.

“The police van crashed straight into my child’s bedroom and it was the grace of God that he was in Gauteng at the time of the inci-dent. I believe he would have been also crushed to death on his bed if he were around. I thank God that I was not injured, as I was watching TV in another room with Shelter, my granddaughter.”

Tambudzani said the police van crashed into her fence before damaging property in the house.

“The expensive bedroom suite of my son is damaged and several furniture, like chairs and household utensils were damaged. This is the saddest misfortune I have ever come across, but I am relieved that no life was lost during the whole incident.”

She said the whole incident affected her so much that she fainted and ended up getting treatment at the local Mutale Health Centre.

“Upon noticing the damage soon after the incident, I fainted and the next thing, I found myself lying on a hospital bed the next day. Now I have accepted what has taken place and I am only waiting for the law to take its course.”

Supt Ailwei Mushavhanamadi of the Vhembe Police confirmed the incident. “A police van with two police officers was traveling along the Matavhela-Tshilamba road at about 21:00. The van hit a cow next to the Ndou house and the driver lost control and crashed into the house. Both officers sustained minor injuries and they were treated at Mutale Health Centre and later discharged.”

Mushavhanamadi said cases of reckless and negligent driving and malicious damage to property are being in-vestigated.