Collisions on South Africa’s roads on the first weekend of the festive season have claimed the lives of at least six adults and a five-month-old baby and left 20 people injured.
A woman travelling in a minibus taxi was killed when it was hit from behind by a truck on the Clairwood off-ramp on the M4 south, near Durban, at 9am on Saturday, said KwaZulu-Natal traffic spokesperson, Colin Govender.
The drivers of both the taxi and the horse-and-trailer were slightly injured.
Sixteen passengers who sustained injuries, ranging from the serious to cuts and bruises, were also taken to local hospitals for treatment.
The busy freeway was completely closed off for about an hour while the scene was cleared, causing a significant disruption, said Govender.
In Bellville outside Cape Town, five people, including a five-month-old baby died and two were injured when two cars collided on the N1, said police spokesperson Superintendent Riaan Pool.
It was believed that a white BMW travelling from Cape Town lost control and jumped the median, landing on top of a white Audi on its way from Paarl, he said.
Among the dead were a woman, three men and the baby. They had yet to be positively identified.
A young boy, thought to have been travelling in the Audi, was injured in the ”extremely gruesome” crash and taken to Kuilsriver Mediclinic. A man was also injured, but it was not certain in which vehicle he was travelling, said Pool.
Culpable homicide dockets have been opened in both incidents.
Geared up for the festive season traffic onslaught, KwaZulu-Natal already has officers out in full force who are conducting ”vigorous” law-enforcement on the province’s roads — supported by roadside courts, said Govender.
Well over 20 people had appeared before these roadside magistrate’s since Friday, mainly for speeding offences and unroadworthy vehicles, he said. – Sapa