Ten die in N1 horror crash

Among the carnage of Tuesday morning's horror crash which left 10 people dead, a child stood crying helplessly for his mother.  The accident occurred near Bandelierkop on the N1 South.

According to police information, the accident took place just after 06:00 when a truck collided with a minibus taxi that was carrying passengers to Zimbabwe.

Preliminary investigations indicate that the truck driver was on the wrong side of the road, when the truck’s trailer hooked the trailer of the passing minibus. Almost instantly, both the truck and minibus spun out of control and left the road.

The truck driver was crushed to death behind the steering wheel on impact. The minibus overturned, leaving nine people dead on the scene.

Makhado police spokesperson Capt Maano Sadike later confirmed that of these deceased, seven were male, one female and one was a little boy. All were Zimbabweans on their way from Johannesburg to the border.

A further 15 passengers were rushed to the Elim and Louis Trichardt state hospital for treatment. Among them was the truck’s co-driver. He managed to escape with minor injuries.

While rescue workers were franticly trying to assist injured passengers next to the road, traffic piled up for several kilometres in both directions. The road remained closed for several hours, with police awaiting the arrival of a special investigation unit from Johannesburg. It was reopened around midday.

A case of culpable homicide is being investigated. In the meantime, South African police are working closely with Home Affairs to try and identify the bodies of the deceased. “We are also trying to re-unite the surviving passengers with their families in Zimbabwe,” said Sadike.