42 Cars in 18 accidents on N4 highway

As thick mist covered eMalahleni early this week, angels were amongst the drivers that were traveling along the highway after a little voice told one driver to get out of his vehicle, and minutes later his vehicle was hit from the back and pushed under a truck.

The five vehicle pile up on the N4 highway on Tuesday, June 7. This happened a few kilometers before the toll gate.

The incident happened on Tuesday, June 7 on the N4 highway towards Middelburg Toll Plaza.
Five separate accidents occurred along a three kilometre stretch of the road.
The first accident occurred just before the toll plaza, where a touring group pulled off the road when a Toyota Fortuner was involved in a slight crash.

Following this collision a driver of a Corsa bakkie hit the back of a Clover truck.
Without hesitation the driver of the Corsa bakkie climbed out of his vehicle after battling to get the door open.

“A little voice told me to climb out of the vehicle and as soon as that voice speaks to you, you need to obey it,” said the concerned driver.

He stood next to the road and within a couple of minutes after helping a distressed woman in another vehicle, he heard a huge bang.

Three vehicles that collided into one another on Tuesday, June 7 on the N4 highway towards Middelburg Toll Plaza.

When he looked at where the noise was he noticed that a silver Ford Ranger had hit the back of the Corsa bakkie pushing it right under the truck.

“God’s angels were definitely amongst us motorists on the highway this morning. I just thank God that he protected me and sent that voice for me to get out of my vehicle, otherwise it would be a different story,” said the driver.

The only injury that the driver of the Corsa obtained was a small cut on his hand, which he covered with a make shift bandage as they waited for emergency services.

While drivers sat in the mist, another three separate accidents occurred further back on the highway, one minibus crashed into the back of a stationery truck and then a bakkie collided into the back of a fuel tanker.
In the last collision five cars including one vehicle who was towing a caravan collided into each other.

The Correctional Service van that collided into the back of a caravan on the N4 highway.

A Correctional Service van which was transporting a prisoner collided into the back of the caravan and within minutes a minibus crashed into the back of the van. At that stage the injured prisoner remained trapped in the van.
Emergency services tended to the other injured people first before they were able to reach the prisoner.
The injured were stabilised on the scene by various ambulance services and taken to nearby hospitals for further treatment.

According to TRAC spokesperson, Ms Solange Soares Nicholson, 42 vehicles were reported to have been damaged in the multiple car pile up.

“I can confirm so far that 42 cars were involved in the mist accident and a total 18 accidents were reported,” said Captain Eddie Hall, spokesperson from Witbank Police Station.

Two months earlier on April 22 there was also a multiple car pile up on the N4 and N12 highways. Witbank accident office recorded 90 vehicles, ranging from sedans to articulated trucks, and a private ambulance that were involved in this accident.

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