Road carnage continues

Date: 19 September 2016 By: Isabel Venter

Last weekend proved to be another tragic one for many local residents as the carnage on the region’s roads continued.

As a prelude to the weekend's vehicular chaos, a near-fatal crash occurred between three trucks on the N1 south. According to the Makhado Police, they are investigating the accident. Local police spokesperson Const Irene Radzilane said that two trucks of the transporting company JJ Maritz and Son were parked alongside the road, facing north, approximately 10km outside of Louis Trichardt.

A third truck, belonging the company Shalom and travelling in the same direction, rear-ended the first stationary Maritz truck. The impact of the crash ripped open the Maritz truck’s trailer and sent the contents flying across the road's surface. The consignment consisted predominately of toilet air freshener, car polish, and dashboard cleaning spray - causing other motorists to smell the accident before they actually spotted it.  

The Shalom-truck was transporting a small grader, which came loose and carved a ditch through the N1’s surface. The driver lost control over his truck, and it veered off the road, into the bushes. The impact of the crash twisted the truck's cab. Its driver, along with one of the drivers of the other trucks, had to be transported to the Louis Trichardt Memorial Hospital for medical treatment.

Because of this accident, the flow of traffic along the N1 was held up severely to allow rescue workers to clear the road. The massive ditch caused by the grader also had to be filled up first.

Late on Friday afternoon, rescue workers had to attend the scene of yet another truck accident. This time, the accident was reported along the N1 north, near the Ingwe Hotel. At around 17:00, a sedan with three occupants travelling in a southerly direction collided with an oncoming truck travelling in the opposite direction. Both the truck and sedan were manoeuvring around the notorious 60km/h hairpin bend when they collided head-on. The driver and two passengers in the sedan were seriously injured and immediately transported to the hospital for treatment. The truck driver escaped with only a small cut to his finger. Since the truck was transporting some 13 tons of mining explosives, the authorities closed this section of the N1 for the rest of the day and evening as a precaution to clear the accident scene.

On Sunday, close to the Lalapanzi Hotel on the N1 south, one person was killed when his bakkie overturned. According to Const Radzilane, the cause of the accident is still unclear. The driver was travelling from Musina to Johannesburg. He was declared dead on the scene. The six passengers traveling with him were seriously injured and were taken to the Elim Hospital for treatment.

Following the most recent spate of accidents, the Makhado Police have urged residents to adhere to the rules of the road and not to speed or overtake without ensuring that it is safe to do so. Radzilane confirmed that in all instances the police had opened cases of reckless driving and, in the case of Sunday’s tragic accident, a case of culpable homicide, for further investigation.

Viewed: 923

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... 

On Wednesday, the N1 north smelled daisy fresh.    A consignment  consisting predominately of toilet air freshener, car polish and dashboard cleaner, was strewn over the road, following an accident between three trucks.

One of the trucks involved in last Wednesday's accident was transporting a small road grader, which came loose and carved a ditch through the N1’s surface.

One of the trucks, involved in last Wednesday's accident was transporting a small road grader, which came loose and carved a ditch through the N1’s surface.

Local rescue workers carry one of passengers to a waiting ambulance. The man was trapped inside the vehicle, following a head-on collision with a truck on Thursday near the Ingwe Hotel along the N1 north.

A second passenger is transferred to an ambulance. 

Rescue workers had to work fast to extract the last occupant, who was trapped in the wreck of this vehicle, following a head-on collision with a truck on Thursday near the Ingwe Hotel along the N1 north.