News

Weekend of havoc – 15 lives lost on MP roads

Fifteen lives were lost over the weekend due to accidents on roads right across the province.

July 1, 2019

Press Release 2 minutes read

Most of the deadly crashes happened on Saturday.

•On the R546 between Charl Cilliers and Embalenhle, four people were killed when two sedans were involved in a head on collision. The accident took place around 06:00 on Saturday where three of the victims died at the scene. The fourth person succumbed to their injuries in hospital.

Also read: WATCH: Vehicles hit unmarked ditch on R555

•In yet another head on collision, two drivers were killed at around 18:30 on Saturday on the R545 near Kriel. Three passengers sustained serious injuries and were rushed to the nearest hospitals in the area.

•Seven people were killed on the R555 Stoffberg road at 19:00 on Saturday evening. The accident involved a single-cab bakkie and a truck. Indications are that a trailer came loose and free-wheeled into the oncoming lane, colliding with the single-cab. The driver lost control and drove into an oncoming truck.

Also read: #TrafficAlert: R555 closed, seven die in horrific crash

•On the R544 between Kriel and Bethal, two more people were killed when the bakkie they travelled in collided with two trucks. The accident happened around 19:30 on Saturday. The deceased include the driver and a passenger from the LDV.

The MEC for Community Safety, Security and Liaison, Gabisile Shabalala, made a call on all motorists to obey the rules of the road.

Shabalala announced in a statement that these accidents could have been avoided and that investigations indicate the cause for most was human error.

She reiterated that reckless driving endangers not only your own life but also the lives of innocent road users adding that passengers have a duty of monitoring their driver’s actions.