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One person, the driver of the taxi, was killed on Saturday, following a head-on collision with a bus along the Vleifontein road. The accident left a further 24 people with injuries varying from minor bruises to serious cuts. Photo supplied.

Easter Weekend carnage not as bad this year

 

For the first time in many years, local fire- and rescue-team workers also enjoyed somewhat of a break during the past Easter Weekend.

Despite the annual exodus of motorists over Easter Weekend, a holiday period that has become synonymous with a dramatic increase in road fatalities and accidents, local roads proved much safer this year in comparison to last year.

During last year’s Easter Weekend, the Makhado Fire Station in Louis Trichardt reported a total of 13 road accidents. This year, the number of accidents dropped significantly to only seven, with one recorded fatality.

As the long weekend approached, the first accident occurred on Wednesday, 23 March, along the Levubu road. Three vehicles collided with each other, with a total of four people sustaining minor injuries. One passenger had to be transferred to hospital with more serious injuries.

On Good Friday, rescue workers again had to rush to another accident scene along the Levubu road. A vehicle erupted in flames about 5 km from Louis Trichardt, after it had crashed into a second vehicle. Luckily, local firemen were able to extinguish the flames quickly and nobody was injured in this accident.

On Saturday and Sunday, while many travellers had already reached their destinations, another three accidents were reported.

Foreshadowing Sunday’s fatal minibus accident was an incident along the Elim Road, near Mbokota, which left more than 10 people injured. The driver of a light delivery truck apparently lost control of the vehicle, causing it to capsize. Of the truck’s 21 passengers, seven were seriously injured and four sustained minor cuts and bruises. All of them had to be transferred to the Elim Hospital for medical treatment.

As Sunday dawned, the first fatality for the Easter Weekend was recorded along the Vleifontein road. According to rescue workers, a taxi and bus travelling in opposite directions collided head-on with each other. The exact cause of the collision is still not known. The driver of the taxi was killed on impact, and a total of 22 passengers, both from the bus and taxi, sustained serious injuries.

Later the same day, another accident was reported along the Vivo/Mara road when a vehicle overturned. It is still not clear whether the driver had swerved to avoid some wildlife or perhaps to avoid hitting a pothole. The driver and passenger were injured and taken to the Louis Trichardt Memorial Hospital for treatment.

In the meantime, the Limpopo Department of Roads and Transport confirmed on Tuesday that 19 people had perished on the province’s roads over the Easter Weekend. One of the more serious accidents over the weekend took place between Apel and Leeuwfontein when a car and a taxi crashed into each other. The vehicles caught fire and eight people burnt to death.

At the beginning of Easter Weekend, Minister of Transport Mrs Dipuo Peters issued a directive to all traffic law enforcement officers to adopt a zero-tolerance approach. On Tuesday, while releasing the stats, she said that the order had paid off. “The number of fatal accidents in Limpopo has decreased by nearly half – 19 people have passed away compared with the 49 in total last year,” said Peters. 

 

News - Date: 02 April 2016

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The mangled wreck of the taxi and bus that were involved in an accident on Saturday along the Vleifontein road. Photo supplied.

 

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Isabel Venter

Isabel joined the Zoutpansberger and Limpopo Mirror in 2009 as a reporter. She holds a BA Degree in Communication Sciences from the University of South Africa. Her beat is mainly crime and court reporting.

Email: [email protected]

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