North West MEC for Human Settlements, Public Safety & Liaison, Ms Desbo Mohono has described Sunday, 13 March 2011 as the worst day for road safety in her province.
This follows three road accidents that claimed nine lives and injured nine road users across the North West province on Sunday. Four youths in their early 20’s, i.e. a female and 3 males died after a Toyota Combi company vehicle plunged into the back on a stationary Fiat Uno on the R104 Phokeng - Swartruggens road at around 02h00am.
It is suspected that the four were outside the Uno at the back of the vehicle while four of their companions, 3 females and a male were in the vehicle. All four were admitted to Job Shimankana Provincial Hospital with critical injuries.
The driver of the combi who was slightly injured in the accident alleges that he was blinded by the bright headlamps of a vehicle that was driving in the opposite direction and couldn’t see the stationary vehicle on time to avoid the accident.
Police have since established that the Fiat Uno with Mpumalanga registration was a stolen vehicle and that the amount of alcohol found in the vehicle cannot rule out roadside drinking.
The second accident in which 4 other road users, three males and a female passenger in their 30’s died in a head on collision involving a VW Jetta and a Ford Bantam bakkie occurredon the R53 Potchefstroom-Ventersdorp road at around 03h15pm. The accident suspected to have been caused by the bakkie overtaking on a barrier line happened about 18 kilometres outside Potchefstroom near the Potchefstroom Military base shooting range. All of the bakkie’s tyres were also found to be worn out.
Paramedics had to use the jaws of life to free the driver of the bakkie from the wreckage of his vehicle. He was among the three people, two of whom were in the Jetta who were critically injured in the accident.
A 32 year old male driver also died in a three car pile- up that involved a Toyota Corolla, a Mitsubishi Pajero and a Ford Bantam bakkie. Drunken driving is suspected to have contributed towards causing the accident that occurred around 02h00 am. The accident took place near Port of Call filling station on the R24 Rustenburg-Magalies road outside Rustenburg, about 3 kilometres from the Rustenburg Waterfall Mall. The driver who died in the accident was driving the Toyota Corolla while the driver of the Mitsubishi Pajero was slightly injured. He was taken by relatives from the scene of the accident to the nearest private hospital.
MEC Mohono confirmed that police are investigating cases of culpable homicide for the three accidents and also looking for the driver of the Ford Bantam for the R24 road accident who allegedly fled the scene of the accident after driving into the back of the Mitsubishi Pajero. Mohono who has expressed shock at the tragic and untimely deaths wishes to convey her condolences to the families of the road users who lost their lives in the accidents and also wish the injured road users a speedy recovery. She has called for a change in driver behaviour to reduce the carnage on public roads.
Enquiries:
Lesiba Moses Kgwele
Tel: 018 381 9171
Fax: 018 381 9123
Cell: 083 629 1987
E-mail: Lkgwele@nwpg.gov.za
