Five police officers were seriously injured in a nasty road accident at Barakau village along the Magi Highway in Central Province on Saturday and are now admitted to a hospital in Port Moresby for medical treatment. Central Provincial Police Commander (PPC) Chief Inspector Joseph Salle confirmed the five officers, all members of the Central Highway Patrol Unit, were conducting a routine patrol when the accident occurred at around 2PM. The collision involved a police Toyota Land Cruiser vehicle traveling from Port Moresby city towards Gaire and a 10-cubic dump truck belonging to Kana Construction Company heading in the opposite direction. Both vehicles were damaged in the crash. The driver of the dump truck reportedly fled the scene, while all five officers sustained serious injuries. “The dump truck is higher than the Toyota Land Cruiser, so the impact on the police vehicle was serious and affected the police officers. They were rushed to the hospital by St. John Ambulance. Police units from both NCD and Central Province responded, managing to identify eyewitnesses and take possession of the police officers' property. I want to thank the police units for their quick response,” PPC Salle said. Police traffic officers have launched an investigation and are now searching for the dump truck driver, who remains at large. PPC Salle urged the driver to surrender to the authorities immediately. He also extended gratitude to Commander NCD/Central Benjamin Turi and NCD Met. Supt. for their support in ensuring the injured officers received prompt medical attention. He then further thanked the people of Barakau village and members of the public who assisted during the emergency.