18 hours to clean up N12 S-bend after horrific accident
The fog on the N12 S-bends is a regular occurrence and has claimed many lives over the years.
It took Van Wettens Recovery 18 hours to clear the scene, finally reopening the N12 to traffic well after 21:00 earlier this week.
The incident on June 15 was the latest fatal tragedy on the notorious stretch of the N12 known as the S-bend, frequently plagued by deadly winter mist.
According to eyewitnesses, a woman was travelling toward eMalahleni and drove into the back of a truck.
She got out to inspect the damage and was hit by a Polo.
READ MORE: Woman killed on N12 crash scene, two trucks burn
Giepie Fisher from Van Wettens Recovery said the zero visibility was caused by the fog that covered the highway like a thick blanket.
Among the seven vehicles involved in the crash was a diesel tanker that started burning when another truck carrying plastic pipes crashed into it.
READ MORE: Eyewitness says, “I feel bad” after a deadly fog crash on the N12 near Ogies
Fisher described the scene as very dangerous.
“I was parked a distance away from the diesel tanker, and when it started burning, the heat was so intense I could feel it.”
The drivers from the diesel tanker and the truck carrying plastic pipes were not harmed.
There is still chaos on the N12 following this morning’s accident, with one person already confirmed dead
— WitbankNews (@WitbankN) June 15, 2026
Read more here: https://t.co/KYQRTSKsnz#WitbankNews #Emalahleni #N12 #Accident pic.twitter.com/yhGlC8DsPj
Traffic was diverted around the scene while teams started recovering the vehicles and cleaning up.
“We recovered nine trucks and a bus on the stretch from Sun 1 to just before Ogies that morning. It was absolute chaos,” Fisher said.
Volunteer firefighters Tommie Potgieter and Marno Kruger from the South African Community Crime Watch spent five hours battling the flames of the burning diesel truck.
“The heat was so intense, I felt my soles burn through my boots,” Potgieter said.
The danger escalated when a thick black cloud of smoke blanketed the highway, making it impossible for commuters to see.
See video here:
@witbanknews At least one person has been confirmed dead following the tragic crash that occurred earlier this morning on the N12 toward the R555 Ogies/Blackhill off-ramp. #WitbankNews #Emalahleni #N12 #Accident
♬ original sound – Witbank News
A secondary fire started when the diesel from the diesel truck flowed into a neighbouring field and ignited the grass. Potgieter and Kruger also had to battle to contain that fire.
Thomas Leshaba from Tomdollers Towing said these scenes are a regular occurrence.
“If you see the mist, please change your travelling plans. No destination is worth your life,” Leshaba said.
The identity of the woman who lost her life has not yet been released, pending notification of her next of kin.
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