BLOEMFONTIEN – Two pedestrians have been killed on the N1 highway’s southbound lanes near Bloemfontein following a fatal accident involving two motor vehicles in the early evening yesterday – Sunday. The police confirmed the deceased, a 46-year-old woman and a 57-year-old man, originated from Edenburg, a town located 80 km south of Bloemfontein.
The road has since opened for traffic after a temporary closure due to the accident. Free State police spokesperson Captain Loraine Earle said the fatal accident happened in the early evening at about 18:30 on the N1 highway’s southbound lanes near the Ferreira turn-off. Earle said that according to a preliminary investigation, the victims were attempting to cross the highway when fatally struck by two vehicles — a light vehicle and a freight truck — near the Ferreira turn-off. She said the deceased reportedly attempted to reach a filling station located close to the highway.
“Preliminary reports indicate that two pedestrians sustained fatal injuries. The drivers of the two vehicles involved sustained minor injuries. No arrests have been made. A case of culpable homicide is being investigated,” said Earle. The victims’ identities are yet to be revealed while police continue the investigation surrounding the fatal accident. Earle said that Emergency Medical Services declared both victims dead at the accident scene upon arrival.
