Jail time for driver who killed a police officer at Chisamba check-point

A-FORTY-three-year-old business executive who hit and killed a police officer manning a check-point in Chisamba before missing another by a whisker at Kabangwe roadblock has been sentenced to nine months imprisonment.
In her ruling Kabwe High Court Judge Elita Mwikisa said the state had proved the case and convicted Michael Mwansa with one count of causing death by dangerous driving with the hope that he would reflect on his conduct while in prison.
The Kitwe-based business executive who was clad in a navy blue suit looked shocked when sentence was passed by Justice Mwikisa who pointed out that she had no choice but to send him to prison as a warning to other irresponsible drivers who have no regard for the law.
She said it was sad that after running over the officer he did not offer help but instead sped off and also caused another scare at Kabangwe check point, forcing the officer to run for his life after seeing that he was not stopping.
She said the conduct was a sign that Mwansa had no regard for law and other road users.
The court said as a prudent driver the convict was supposed to stop after seeing a check point and that the accident was avoidable considering that the check point was permanent.
Earlier through his lawyer, the convict pleaded for leniency saying he was a family person and employs over 200 people through his companies and asked for a fine instead of a custodial sentence.
Particulars of the offence are that Mwansa on July 4, 2011 caused the death of Collins Sipantunyana while driving a Toyota Hilux, registration number ABT 1119.
During trial the state called eight witnesses among them a police officer, Hastings Chileshe who testified during examination-in chief by Senior State Advocate Chali Hambayi that on the fateful day he was on duty when he was alerted by officers from Chisamba asking him to look out for a runaway driver who hit and killed a police officer.
Chileshe narrated that 40 minutes after the phone call, he saw a speeding vehicle approaching the check-point he was manning and signaled for the motorist to stop but saw that the driver was not stopping forcing him to flee from the road.
He said the motorist switched to the wrong lane and sped off.
He  saw that the vehicle had a dent adding that efforts to give chase using a private vehicle proved futile.
Another witness, Mark Krunic, a stores manager at Zambeef farm, said he saw a speeding vehicle hit a police officer manning the Chisamba checkpoint and then speed off.
At the closure of the case Mwansa was found with a case to answer and put on his defence but he denied killing the officer and claimed that he was not in Chisamba at the time but admitted having been involved in two accidents which he did not report to the police.