Weekend carnage

Date: 17 August 2015 By: Isabel Venter

The past long weekend proved fatal to more than one motorist.

On Thursday, 6 August, the weekend got off to a bad start with a pile-up of vehicles along the Thohoyandou road. The incident happened near the Piesanghoek turn-off and involved three vehicles. One male passenger, who was travelling in a Bantam bakkie, died on the scene. The impact of the crash obliterated the man’s bakkie; the engine was found several metres from the bakkie. The cause of the accident is still being investigated by the police.

On Saturday evening, the national road was once again the scene of yet another fatal crash, this time involving a bakkie and a sedan. The incident happened close to Bandelierkop.

The occupants of the bakkie, which was pulling a heavily loaded trailer, was travelling south, while the sedan’s occupants were on their way in the opposite direction. It would seem that both vehicles swerved in an attempt to avoid each other, after which the bakkie overturned, sending the contents of the trailer flying all over the road surface.

A male passenger, who was flung out of the bakkie when it overturned, was declared dead on the scene. Three more people were taken to the Elim Hospital with minor injuries.  

In both cases the local police are investigating a case of culpable homicide.

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Isabel Venter

Isabel joined the Zoutpansberger and Limpopo Mirror in 2009 as a reporter. She holds a BA Degree in Communication Sciences from the University of South Africa. Her beat is mainly crime and court reporting.

More photos... 

A Bantam bakkie, involved in a pile-up along the Thohoyandou road last Thursday, had its engine ripped out and flung several metres across the road. Photo supplied.

On Saturday, another accident occurred along the N1 south, near Bandelierkop. A male passenger of a bakkie, who was flung out when the bakkie overturned, was declared dead on the scene.