POLICE in Chambishi have detained a truck driver whose stray bullet hit and injured two women who were in makeshift restaurants selling food when one of the several shots he fired to scare criminals hit and injured the women.
Copperbelt Police Commissioner Peacewell Mweemba said the incident occurred yesterday around 11: 30 hours along the Chambishi Copper Smelter (CCS) road near Puma Filling Station in Chambishi in which an anonymous call was received by Police that women were shot at and injured after a truck driver fired gunshots
Mr Mweemba said the two victims who were rushed to Chambishi Government Clinic, have been identified as Treazer Kamwendo Malichi aged 37 of house number B- 282 Kabanda Area Zambia Compound Chambishi, a business lady, who sustained a gunshot wound on her left knee
The other victim was identified as Getrude Chilumba, aged 27 of the same address, who sustained a gunshot wound below her left shoulder.
Mr Mweemba said there are booths and makeshift restaurants alongside CCS Road near Puma Filling Station and along this road, criminals usually jump onto trucks to steal whatever cargo or goods they find on the trucks, especially when trucks stop or slow down.
He said on February 20, 2023, at around 12:30 hours, a truck driver namely identified a Trust Sakala aged 56 of house number 108/75 Kanyama West Lusaka, driving a freightliner truck and trailer reg No ALE 4791 and ABZ 9111T belonging to AM Transport Company, was going towards CCS from Kitwe-Chingola road.
“The truck driver stopped along the road to pick up his fellow driver, who was going to CCS. Immediately, a group of criminals jumped onto the trailer and started pulling the tents. He tried to stop them, but the criminals started throwing stones at him. It was at this point that the driver got his pistol and fired several shots towards the group to scare them, forcing the group to run away.
“However, it was discovered that two females who were in one of the makeshift restaurants doing their business of selling food, were caught by stray bullets, and got injured, Ms Treazer Kamwendo Malichi and Ms Getrude Chilumba, aged 27 of the above address (B 282) who sustained a gunshot wound below her left shoulder,” Mr Mweemba said
He said Police rushed to the clinic and found victims being attended to and later referred to Kitwe Teaching Hospital (KTH) where their condition for both was stable.
“Medical report forms were issued. The truck driver is in police custody for unlawful wounding pending further investigations, while the pistol Luger, serial No C6878 with 13 rounds of ammunition has been confiscated,” he said
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