Impala Road dubbed road of death

KIBLER PARK – The long winding road which boasts scenery of the Klipriviersberg Nature Reserve on one side and the beauty of Thaba Ya Batswana on the other has built up a bad reputation over the years.

Residents of Kibler Park and other areas in the South, JMPD officers, Kibler Park Fire Department and EMS who use Impala Road have seen some terrible accidents along this stretch of road, many of the cases fatal.

On March 30, at an accident scene where a 19-year-old girl had lost control of her vehicle and crashed head-on into a big tree on Impala Road, a JMPD officer was heard referring to the infamous narrow corridor as “the road of death”.

Even days after the accident skid marks can be seen trailing into the foliage on the side of the road, offering evidence of the near fatal crash.

The officer’s statement was motivated by the frequency of vehicle accidents that occur on the road in a short period of time. Residents have also echoed this statement saying Impala Road is not a safe road due to lawlessness by motorists who speed on this road with its dangerous curves and due to the darkness of the road at night.

Only a week prior to the teenagers crash, a 22-year-old man lost his life on March 22, after he collided with a land post, a few meters from the Thaba Ya Batswana entrance. Parts of his Audi A3 hatchback could still be seen along the road where the tragedy took place. The car was a complete write-off.

Residents and traffic officials have complained about drivers exceeding the road’s speed limit of 60 km per hour, with many vehicles often seen speeding through Impala, some even risking head-on collisions by overtaking on the narrow winding corridor, where it is difficult to see oncoming traffic.

Although not all vehicle collisions reported on “the road of death” are due to speeding, some are attributed the dim lighting at night. Mondeor CPF Coordinator Michelle Pelser noted weeks ago that the road was “too dark at night”. She urged motorists to exercise caution when driving through. “The council needs to put up some sort of road measures,” added Pelser.

Another accident took place on Friday, March 28 at 16:00, when a woman lost control of her white Polo hatchback, sustaining minor injuries. The damage to her vehicle was not too bad. Sector 2 Mondeor CPF assisted EMS and the Fire Department officers at the scene.

JMPD officers, who used to hide in the bushes on Klipriver Drive with a speed camera, have not been active for months and it seems the bad habit of law-breaking has taken over yet again as motorists often speed down the road, completely disregarding the speed limit of 80 km per hour.

Councillor Paul Smit was not available for comment when going to print. The CHRONICLE will follow up.