CHRISTMAS Day ended on a bleak note when seven people were killed in two separate evening crashes.
The first took place at about 6pm close to the N2 overpass at kwaMbonambi when a double cab Nissan Hardbody and a Chrysler Neon sedan collided.
The sole occupant of the bakkie, Phumelele Ntombela, was declared dead at the scene.
Three members of the Ntenga family who were travelling in the Chrysler also died, while Sibongiseni Ntenga was hospitalised and is in ICU at Ngwelezana Hospital.
In a second tragedy, a Mercedes Benz travelling at high speed towards the Rail crossed the Oilco robots before losing control and veering over the centre median and into an oncoming Hyundai Accent.
The dead were named as Nhlanhla Buthelezi (56), Nonsikelelo Nyawo (28) and Lindiwe Mthethwa (30).
All four occupants of the Mercedes survived and were taken to hospital.
