Three people die in four-car pile-up on N6 near Komani

POLICE are searching for the driver of an Avanza who is accused of causing the deaths of three motorists on the busy N6 near Komani.

The fatal crash happened on Thursday. It is alleged that the Avanza driver made a sudden U-turn on the national road, resulting in a four-car pile-up and the deaths of three people.

The driver is said to have fled the scene.

Komani police spokeswoman Captain Namhla Mdleleni confirmed that police are investigating a case of culpable homicide. Provincial transport spokeswoman Khuselwa Rantjie said: “Preliminary reports suggest that the main cause of the accident was an Avanza, which reportedly drove off from the scene, that was doing a Uturn at a highly busy traffic hour.”

The collisions happened near the Komani police stock theft unit.

Rantjie said three of vehicles involved in the crash were travelling from Cathcart towards Komani, headed by a Mazda sedan with four occupants, while a Toyota bakkie with only the driver was travelling from Komani.

“There’s an allegation that a car just made a U-turn in front of the three cars going in the same direction and they hit each other in the rear while the lead vehicle collided head-on with the [oncoming] Toyota bakkie,” she said.

Rantjie said one male passenger was declared dead on the scene while the other passengers, including the two drivers, sustained severe injuries. “Two other people were declared dead later at the Frontier Hospital.”

Rantjie said the drivers of two of the vehicles were still receiving treatment at Frontier hospital.

A case of culpable homicide is being investigated by the Komani police,” she said.

Rantjie called on drivers to exercise patience and to be on high alert.

“Most accidents that occur on our roads are a result of driver behaviour,” Rantjie said. — thembiles@dispatch.