Twelve killed in horrific crashes in KZN and Eastern Cape

On Sunday, 11 May, Mother’s Day, eight people, mostly mothers, died and 16 were injured when a tow truck and a light delivery vehicle transporting 24 members of the Zion Christian Church collided on the N2 near Empangeni in KwaZulu-Natal.

When KZN’s Private Ambulance Service personnel arrived at the scene, they found that eight people had died.

“Paramedics immediately rendered medical assistance to 16 injured survivors. Four occupants sustained critical injuries while 12 others were seriously injured. All injured patients received medical treatment and have been transported to nearby hospitals for further care,” said Arrive Alive.

The KZN MEC for Transport and Human Settlements, Siboniso Duma, said, “On this Mother’s Day, early this morning at about 6.47am, I received a report from our highly dedicated team from the Road Traffic Inspectorate informing me about a horrific accident that claimed the lives of eight people, mostly mothers.

“Losing a mother is a deeply painful experience that marks the radical change of the family’s life and involves a wide range of sad emotions.”

Eastern Cape crash 

On Saturday, 10 May, three 14-year-old boys and an adult male died and 14 people were injured when the vehicle in which they were travelling overturned on the N2 at Beacon Bay, East London.

They were travelling from Bunkers Hill soccer stadium to Gonubie after playing in a match there.

A week before this, on 3 May, 15 people were killed when two vehicles — a Quantum and an Isuzu double-cab — collided on the R63 between Kwamqomba and Adelaide in the Eastern Cape. It was the deadliest crash in the province in almost a year. DM