Ekurhuleni road carnage: 24 killed over the festive season

The City of Ekurhuleni says 24 deaths have been recorded on its roads between December 1, 2019 and January 5.

Nine drivers died, six passengers and nine pedestrians. All the pedestrians were men.

One passenger died on the N17, one on the M2, one on the N12 near Daveyton and one on the N12 near Benoni.

Ekurhuleni Metro Police Department spokesperson Kobeli Mokheseng said four of the pedestrians died on a freeway.

The number of the deaths recorded in the municipality was less compared to the previous two years. In 2018, 47 people died and in 2017, 44 people were killed.

‘Drunk driving, excessive speeding, fatigue, reckless and negligent driving’

“On Christmas day in the Benoni area, a light delivery vehicle driver and a female passenger died after [they] lost control [of their vehicle] and crashed into two trees on the corner of Main Reef and Hospital roads.

“On December 28, at 20:05 in the Edenvale area, a male driver died after [losing control of] his sedan and [he] crashed into a wall on the corner of Elm [Street] and Beech [Avenue],” he said.

Mokheseng said on January 1, at 03:49 in Boksburg, a driver and a passenger were burnt beyond recognition and the driver lost control of the sedan and crashed into a tree on the corner of Hertzog Street and Lancaster Road.

“Preliminary investigations from our accident reconstruction unit revealed that fatal accidents and crashes are attributed to drunk driving, excessive speeding, fatigue, reckless and negligent driving, bad behaviour … a failure on the part of pedestrians to take proper care and crossing of the freeways.”

Around 44,220 summonses were issued for improper documentation, equipment on vehicles, defects and moving violations.

A total of 595 drivers were arrested for drinking and driving.

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