A horrible multiple collision involving four vehicles claimed the lives of seven people and injured five others on the R47 Mahikeng-Zeerust Road outside Mahikeng in the North West province on Saturday evening.
Speeding is suspected to have caused the road accident that occurred at about 7h30 pm, less than three kilometres outside Mahikeng and about three kilometers from Manyane Game Lodge towards Mahikeng.
It is alleged that the driver of a Toyota Corolla sedan which was driving from Zeerust towards Mahikeng with five occupants lost control of his vehicle and accident collided with a Toyota hillux bakkie with five occupants that was driving in the opposite directions.
The bakkie hit the Toyota Corolla sedan on the rear left fender suggesting that its driver tried to avoid the accident by crossing unto the lane of the oncoming vehicle which had spun out of control. The sedan overturned due to the forceful impact and rolled a couple of several times.
All five occupants who were in the sedan, i.e. the male driver, two male passengers and two female passengers includingthe male driver and a female passenger from the bakkie died on impact. The ages of those who died in the accident range from 40 to 27. Police suspect that two families from Zeerust and Motswedi were in both vehicles but this still has to be confirmed.
Three children the eldest of whom is about 15 years-old who were at the back of the bakkie were critically injured and rushed by paramedics to Mahikeng Provincial Hospital. Two occupants of a VW Polo sedan that was following the sedan were slightly injured after the driver veered to the outer right of the road to avoid the collision. The vehicle lost its engine as it hit ditches and were lucky not to hit nearby telephone poles.
The driver of a fourth vehicle, a Toyota Corolla that was driving towards Zeerust also had to speedily swerve to outside of the right line he was driving opposite to in orderto avoid driving into the accident before him. He escaped the accident without injuries. Rescue teamshad to use the jaws of life to free the four bodies of the front passengers from thevehicles that had collided as their bodies were trapped in the vehicles.
North West Road Traffic Management authorities had to close the road for over two hoursand redirect traffic from Zeerust to Mahikeng through Buhrmansdrift towards the R503 Mahikeng-Lichtenburg road. The total road closure was to give paramedics time topick up body parts that were strewn all over the scene and clear the scene of debris.
Motorists travelling from Mahikeng to Zeerust also had to use the R503 Mahikeng-Lichtenburg Roadto reconnect to the R47 Mahikeng-Zeerust road through the Buhrmansdrift turnoff.
North West MEC for Human Settlements, Public Safety and Liaison, Desbo Mohono wishes to express her condolences to the families on the untimely deaths of their loved ones in the tragic road accident and also wish the injured road users a speedy recovery.
In confirming that police are investigating cases of culpable homicide , MEC Mohono also condemned in the strongest terms a reported attempt by one motorist to help himself to one of the bags from the luggage that had come off the Toyota hilux bakkie that were strewn on the side road at the scene of the collision.
The motorist purportedly impersonated being a police officer helping at the scene but unfortunately for him, his nefarious actions were noticed by an observant police captain who was among the first people to arrive at the scene.
“Theft of belongings of road accident victims acts at road accident scenes are despicable heartless opportunism of people without a conscience and should stop” the distraught MEC Mohono emphasised.
Enquiries:
Lesiba Moses Kgwele
Tel: 018 381 9171
Cell: 083 629 1987
Fax: 018 381 9123
E-mail: LKgwele@nwpg.gov.za
