Just as the sun took its spot in the sky, the smell of rubber and metal filled the air on the N4-highway.
This is after a taxi overturned early on Friday morning, May 3 around 07:20 claiming the lives of two women and a baby – only but a few months old.
Vosman Police received a report of a Toyota Quantum that overturned near Schoongezicht and police rushed to the scene.
They found the overturned Quantum, and ambulances already on scene busy transporting injured passengers to hospital as everyone in the Quantum were critically injured.
According to the 29-year-old driver he was on his way from Ezinambeni to eMalahleni downtown on the N4-highway when the back left tyre burst.
He told police that he could not control the vehicle and it overturned several times until it eventually stopped –direction Pretoria.
The taxi had 13 passengers, three died on scene and the rest were taken to a local hospital for further treatment. The deceased were declared dead on scene.
Police advised the community to always drive safely and ensure that their vehicles are in a good and roadworthy condition.
A national statement was also released shortly after the accident and Mpumalanga Community Safety and Security Liaison MEC Pat Ngomane sent his condolences to the family of the deceased and wished a speedy recovery to the injured.
He made a call to all public transport to make the lives of their clients a priority.
“Public transport drivers must not gamble with the lives of innocent people all in the name of money. Owners of public transport must expel all drivers who continuously fail to obey the rules of the road. We are also sending a warning that if our traffic officers catch your drivers on the wrong side of the law, they are going to be harshly dealt with,” he said.
The bodies were not yet identified by time of going to print.
Another accident took place on Saturday afternoon where another taxi overturned. No serious injuries were reported and the cause of the accident is still unknown.
ALSO READ:
WARNING ON N4 HIGHWAY: Accident claims three lives
Condolences to families after accident
