A sideswipe collision involving an articulated truck and a Mercedes-Benz sedan left six people dead on the N4 toll road towards Mbombela near Montrose on Sunday afternoon, November 6.
The Department of Community Safety, Security and Liaison said the deceased include three adults and three children, all occupants in the sedan. They all died on impact.
Emer-G-Med said on its arrival on the scene, its crews were met with absolute carnage.
“The Mercedes-Benz lay in pieces on the roadway. The extensive damage to the vehicle caused it to burst into flames shortly after impact, however, swift action from fire services saw the blaze extinguished, and the driver, who was severely entrapped in the wreckage, was extracted using the Jaws of Life.”
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The emergency service said according to eyewitness reports, the sedan had attempted to overtake another vehicle, heading into oncoming traffic. The truck driver attempted to avoid the collision, but was unable.
According to Emer-G-Med, the children were between the ages of two and seven. The driver of the truck was unharmed.
The driver of the sedan was critically injured and airlifted to Rob Ferreira Hospital.
“Three pedestrians were slightly injured as they were hit by debris coming from the involved vehicles,” said the department.
Another car, stationary on the side of the road, was slightly damaged.
“The cause of the collision has not yet been established, but the investigation is already under way,” said the department.
This is the second major crash today. Another one occurred on the R544 between Verena and eMalahleni, which claimed the lives of five people.
