STELLENBOSCH – Emergency services were still at the scene on Helshoogte Pass at lunchtime on Thursday 22 October, following an early-morning collision that claimed the life of a young boy.

Early afternoon, firefighters and tow-truck operators remained busy clearing the scene while traffic officers of the Stellenbosch Municipality guided road users around the bend where the accident took place. According to reports, the accident occurred around 07:30.

Road users were cautioned to drive carefully, as the road surface was also wet following early-morning rain.

Stuart Grobbelaar, spokesperson for Stellenbosch Municipality, confirmed that municipal emergency services responded to a motor vehicle collision on the Helshoogte Pass. “It is alleged that a white sedan travelling in the direction of Stellenbosch lost control and collided with a silver Toyota,” he explained.

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The cause of the accident is still under investigation, but Cloetesville police spokesperson, Warrant Officer Zenobia Sedeman, confirmed one fatality.

Sedeman said a local mother and her young son were travelling in one of the vehicles. “The minor succumbed to his injuries, while his mother was taken to Paarl Hospital for medical treatment,” she said. “The occupants of the other vehicle were unharmed.”

By midday, a single lane was open in both directions while officials remained at the scene.