Five people were killed on Saturday when a bakkie and a sedan collided near the J.G. Strydom tunnel outside The Oaks in the Mopani District, Limpopo.
Limpopo Department of Transport spokesperson Tshifhiwa Dali said a male driver and four women passengers were killed instantly, while one person was taken to the hospital.
“Preliminary reports indicate that an LDV (light delivery vehicle) collided head-on with a sedan and subsequently lost control and overturned. A total of five people, a male driver and four female passengers, lost their lives at the scene of the accident. One passenger has been transported to the hospital,” said Dali.
Officers on the scene have not ruled out the possibility of negligent or reckless driving, pending further investigation.
Limpopo MEC for Transport and Community Safety, Susani Violet Mathye, expressed her deepest condolences to the families of the victims of this tragic crash, which occurred early Saturday morning on the R36 road near the tunnel in Maruleng Municipality.
“On behalf of the Department and the people of Limpopo, we extend our prayers and support to the families of the deceased during this incredibly difficult time. We also wish the injured a full and speedy recovery,” said MEC Mathye.
She further urged all road users to practice responsible driving and prioritise safety to help prevent such devastating incidents on the province’s roads.
Horror N3 crash
On Friday night, five people were also killed in a horrific road crash on the N3 near the Marianhill Toll Plaza in KwaZulu-Natal.
The crash happened just hours after a major roadblock operation took place, ahead of the Durban July weekend.
KZN Transport MEC Siboniso Duma said the crash involved a minibus taxi carrying 17 passengers that veered off the road while trying to avoid a “reckless driver”.
Truck drivers who witnessed the accident revealed that the taxi driver who was trying to avoid a reckless Polo Driver lost control of his minibus taxi.
Duma added that the RTI team, along with the Durban Metro Police, Road Traffic Management Corporation and the South African Police, will start the process of reconstructing the accident as part of the investigation.
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