South Africa: Nine People Killed In Horrific Auto Crash

Nine people were tragically killed last night when a sedan and a light delivery vehicle collided head-on, along the R35 Road between Morgenzon and Amersfoort, South Africa. 

Mpumalanga Community Safety, Security and Liaison spokesperson Moeti Mmusi said the nine travellers’ lives were “abruptly brought to a tragic end last night, at around 10 pm”.

Both the drivers and passengers of the two vehicles, he claimed, were declared dead at the scene.

“The cause of the crash will be determined through a probe that is currently underway,” said Moeti.

“However, dangerous overtaking may have been the cause of this collision.”

Vusi Shongwe, the Mpumalanga MEC for Community Safety, Security, and Liaison, has recently expressed his concern over the "apparent endless loss of life on the road."

Moving traffic violations, such as reckless overtaking and excessive speeding, have reportedly been identified as some of the main causes of fatal collisions during the previous holiday seasons, according to Shongwe.

"Head-on collisions, excessive speeding and pedestrian fatalities remain some of the challenges that we will focus on this holiday season.

"We are however appealing to road users to work with us in reducing crashes on the road,” said Shongwe.

To protect their own lives and the lives of other road users, he also urged people who will be travelling to various celebrations across the province to follow traffic laws and drive carefully.