Four killed in head-on collision on N2

Four people were killed in a head-on collision involving an H100 bakkie and a Hyundai H1 minibus on the N2 near the Bhoboza off-ramp in Inkosi Mtubatuba Local Municipality late on Sunday night. KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Transport and Human Settlements Siboniso Duma said the crash occurred between 11 pm and 11.30 pm, with the Road Traffic Inspectorate (RTI) clearing the scene in the early hours of Monday morning. The victims were identified as two women and two men.

Duma extended his condolences to the bereaved families and said officials from his office and the department had been assigned to support them during the difficult period. “In times like these, we are always called upon to show compassion. In this regard, we have assigned teams from my office and the department to be closer to the bereaved families,” he said.

The MEC said that the latest tragedy follows several fatal crashes recorded across KwaZulu-Natal during weekends in July. He highlighted a crash on July 18 on the R612 near KwaDumisa, between Umzinto and Ixopo, where five people died after the driver of a VW Polo lost control on a downhill bend. The vehicle overturned before crashing into roadside barriers.

[paywall]

He also referred to a July 4 head-on collision on the R34 Memel Road near Newcastle in which six people died after two VW Polo vehicles collided. Two of the victims were burnt beyond recognition. Duma reiterated concerns about the dangers of travelling at night during winter, saying reduced visibility and driver fatigue continue to contribute to serious crashes. “We have raised our concerns about the fact that night-time winter travel significantly increases accident risks due to reduced visibility and severe driver fatigue,” he said.

[/paywall]