A truck and taxi were involved in a crash near Swinburne on the N3. There are eight fatalities.

The entire road has been closed (both north and southbound), with traffic stacked at the scene.

The statement from N3TC confirming the crash reads as follows:

“The N3 Toll Route is currently CLOSED near Swinburne in the Free State following an earlier fatal crash between a minibus taxi and a truck. SAPS and emergency services are currently attending to the crash scene.

Road users are warned to expect congestion and delays between Van Reenen and Swinburne for the duration of the cleanup and recovery operations.

Please approach the area with caution.”

Issued by: N3 Toll Concession (N3TC)

Updated story:

A statement issued by the MEC for Transport and Human Settlements:

N3 Van Reenen Pass: As we wrap up Transport Month, we are saddened by the death of people in a horrific accident on the N3 Van Reenen Pass, between KZN and the Free State.

Our efficient and energetic Road Traffic Inspectorate, together with the SAPS Accident Unit, have launched an investigation to determine the cause of this accident involving a truck and a minibus taxi.

The preliminary report from RTI indicates that eight people have died. We will update figures and give a more detailed report as we move along.

This morning at 05h00, I interacted with our energetic RTI team and Traffic Ambassador Ayanda Msweli. We are saddened by this accident in view of the fact that we had an accident-free Transport Month.

The scene of the accident is currently active. In our engagement with N3 Toll Concession, we agreed to close the N3 to allow rescue teams to do their work uninterrupted.

Consequently, there is traffic congestion between Van Reenen and Swinburne. We request motorists to be patient and exercise extra caution.

Issued by the MEC for Transport and Human Settlements

Click to receive news links via WhatsApp. Or for the latest news, visit our webpage or follow us on Facebook and Twitter. Join us there!