Horrific crashes in KZN claims multiple lives over the weekend

The weekend fatalities included the driver of a vehicle who appeared to have lost control before crashing through a safety barrier into a tree.

DURBAN, May 17 (ANA) – Three people died over the weekend in two separate vehicle accidents on KwaZulu-Natal roads, emergency services said.

In the early hours of Sunday morning, a VW golf rolled over multiple times before crashing into a tree on the M4 Ruth First highway near Ballito, Reaction Unit South Africa (RUSA) said in a statement.

It said an officer was on his way back to base from a callout when he noticed emergency services tending to the crash scene at around 04:49 and stopped to offer assistance.

RUSA initially reported one death but fellow emergency assistance service Netcare 911 said the driver and a passenger were killed.

The driver of the vehicle appeared to have lost control before crashing through a safety barrier into a tree, Netcare 911 spokesman Shawn Herbt said.

He said the car was being held up by a few branches and had to be stabilised by a local towing company before emergency rescue services could extract the driver, who was pronounced dead.

The dead passenger was found several meters away in the bushes by fire and rescue workers.

Another KwaZulu-Natal accident claimed the life of a woman when the taxi she was travelling in crashed after rolling over multiple times in the Maqongqo area in Pietermaritzburg. The taxi was reportedly carrying 15 passengers.

The other passengers were transported to a local hospital for treatment.

KwaZulu-Natal police spokesperson Mthokozisi Ngobese told the Witness newspaper over the weekend that the force was investigating a case of reckless and negligent driving as well as culpable homicide.

No arrests had however been made as yet, Ngobese said.

– African News Agency (ANA), Editing by Stella Mapenzauswa