EASTERN CAPE – At least 12 people lost their lives in four separate crashes on Eastern Cape roads over two days, 28 and 29 July, prompting renewed calls for motorists to exercise caution amid wet and hazardous road conditions.

N2 near Mooiplaas

As previously reported, the Eastern Cape Department of Transport stated that the first tragic accident on 28 July claimed the lives of six people after a head-on collision between a Volkswagen Polo and a Renault on the N2 near Mooiplaas, just outside KuGompo City.

The Renault caught fire on impact, resulting in the driver, believed to have been a teacher at Qumrha Primary School, being burnt beyond recognition.

Four of the five occupants of the Volkswagen Polo, comprising one man and three women, died in the collision.

One injured person was rushed to a hospital in KuGompo City but sadly succumbed to her injuries shortly after arrival.

Lucingweni Location

The department said the second crash on 28 July, which resulted in the deaths of three people, occurred on the N2 at Lucingweni Location in Kwabhandca.

“It involved a head-on collision between an Isuzu LDV and an articulated truck. Three male occupants of the Isuzu LDV were declared dead at the scene, while the driver of the truck escaped without injuries,” the department said.

N2 in Komani

The department said the third accident on 28 July, which claimed the lives of two people, occurred on the N2 near Birch Farm in Komani, towards Cathcart.

The accident involved an articulated truck, a MAN APM bus and a Toyota Fortuner SUV.

“These vehicles collided. The rear end of the MAN bus struck the rear base of the Mercedes-Benz articulated truck, while the Toyota Fortuner SUV collided with the rear right corner of the MAN bus,” the department said.

The department further said that the male driver and passenger of the Toyota Fortuner SUV were declared dead at the scene by emergency services.

Meanwhile, the department said 10 occupants sustained serious injuries, 28 sustained minor injuries, and two sustained critical injuries.

The department also said that those who were injured were all transported to Frontier Hospital and Komani Private Hospital for further medical examination.

N2 at Gamtoos Valley

On 29 July, a man was killed and two security guards were injured in a crash involving two cash-in-transit vehicles and a Hyundai H-1 on the N2 at Gamtoos Valley.

According to the department, preliminary reports indicate that the seven-seater was travelling on the wrong side of the road when it collided with one of the armoured vehicles.

The department said that, in an apparent attempt to avoid the collision, the second cash-in-transit vehicle veered off the road and down an embankment.

The department said the driver of the seven-seater was declared dead at the scene, while two security guards sustained injuries and were transported to hospital for medical treatment.

Transport and Community Safety MEC Xolile Nqatha extended his heartfelt condolences to the grieving families and wished the injured passengers a swift recovery.

He urged motorists to drive carefully and cautiously, as many of the province’s roads remain wet due to heavy rainfall.

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