UPDATE: Eight dead in taxi accident in Walkerville

EIGHT passengers died, with four critically injured, after a taxi carrying 17 passengers crashed into a concrete bus shelter on the R82 in Walkerville, at just gone 05:00 on Thursday, March 2.

DEVASTATION: The remains of the taxi after it crashed into the concrete bus shelter on the R82.According to an eyewitness the accident happened after the driver of the taxi attempted to overtake another vehicle but saw an oncoming car, swerved out of the way and hit the bus shelter, before it rolled over.

Emergency vehicles rushed to the scene of the accident.

Captain Kay Makhubele said: “The taxi was travelling from Vereeniging side towards Johannesburg and it appears the taxi driver lost control and crashed into the bus shelter. The taxi overturned, throwing its passengers onto the road. Eight have been certified dead at the scene and four are critically injured and have been taken to hospitals in the area. The driver survived the horrific crash. We are investigating a case of culpable homicide. This is a terrible tragedy.”

The one side of the road remained closed for a number of hours while the bodies were removed and transported away by the Department of Health Forensic Pathology vehicle.

Members of Walkerville’s Community Policing Forum were also on the scene, assisting and directing the traffic.

Following an update, one of the four people who was critically injured died in hospital, bringing the total to nine deaths.

Read:

Six injured in Walkerville accident

Eikenhof crash leaves two dead and two critical

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