Five people killed in a horrific crash near Ermelo
Five people were killed early this morning when two sedans collided on the N17 toll road between Ermelo and Davel.
The crash occurred around 01:00 this morning. It is alleged that the Toyota Corolla sedan collided with the rear of a Ford sedan.
The deceased include the driver of the Ford sedan and four passengers. They include three children.
The driver of the Toyota sedan and one passenger sustained serious injuries.
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Provincial community safety spokesperson Moeti Mmusi said indications are that the Toyota Sedan was travelling from Davel to Ermelo while the Ford sedan was allegedly stationary on the shoulders of the road in the direction of Davel to Ermelo at the time of the crash.
The deceased were burnt beyond recognition when the Ford sedan caught fire on impact.
“The cause of the crash is not known at this stage. The police working with Safety Engineering Unit in the department have already commenced with the investigation. Mpumalanga MEC for Community Safety, Security and Liaison, Vusi Shongwe has called on motorists to be extremely alert especially at night when visibility is reduced,” said Mmusi.
Shongwe said that the roads are becoming increasingly dangerous mainly due to human behaviour.
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“Despite endless messages that are spread through all available platforms, people seemingly do not take to heart the importance of using the road safely judging by the number of these deadly crashes.”
“We will continue to work hard as a Department to implement Road Safety education programmes and law enforcement operations. Our law enforcement officers will continue with zero-tolerance towards bad driver behaviour,” said the MEC.
Shongwe has also reminded motorists to refrain from breaking Disaster Management Act by driving during curfew time. In line with the current Adjusted Alert level 4, curfew is between 21h00 and 04h00.
The police will also investigate the violation of the Regulations by those involved in the crash.
