Black weekend on Eastern Cape roads leaves 14 dead, 18 injured

AT least 14 people were killed and 18 injured in a black Easter weekend on Eastern Cape roads.

Just days before the long weekend, 21 people were killed and several injured in a series of road accidents – including two bus accidents – on the province’s roads.

By yesterday afternoon, the R61, N10 and N2 were seeing high volumes of traffic as holidaymakers began returning home.

Police and traffic authorities held several stop-and-search operations across the province in a bid to curb the rising death toll.

In one accident, at 8am yesterday, six people were killed when the vehicle they were travelling in veered off the road and overturned near Grahamstown.

Provincial transport department spokeswoman Khuselwa Rantjie said an Opel Zafira, pulling a trailer, overturned about 12km outside Grahamstown.

Three children and two men died on the scene while a sixth person died on the way to hospital, Rantjie said.

An hour later, a mother and child died in an accident on the N10 near Cookhouse.

Transport, Safety and Liaison MEC Weziwe Tikana appealed to motorists to be extra cautious on the roads.

“So far, about 11 200 vehicles have been stopped and checked with 150 vehicles suspended from using public roads as they were unroadworthy,” she said.

Fifty-two warrants of arrest were issued and eight motorists arrested for drunken driving, while more than 40 stray animals had been impounded, Tikana said.

Provincial traffic deputy director Charles Bramwell said that while most of the accidents were still being investigated, several had been caused by overloading, which led to tyre-bursts or the driver losing control of the vehicle, in addition to speeding.

“There is also a new trend of transport kombis and taxis using car tyres on their vehicles,” he said.

“These tyres are obviously [affected] by the pressure of the load, which also results in the tyre bursting and the driver losing control.”

In other fatal crashes, Rowan de Vos, 31, from Uitenhage, died in a hit-and-run accident at about 3am on Sunday.

Police spokesman Sergeant Majola Nkohli said a car had been travelling in Caledon Street towards Despatch when it struck De Vos and failed to stop.

At 11pm the same day, police on patrol came across an overturned Hyundai Accent near the Shaw Park gravel road in Seafield, near Port Alfred. The driver’s body was still inside the car.

Two passengers said the driver had lost control of the vehicle while they were heading home from a traditional ceremony.

On Saturday, the driver of a Nissan Almera crashed into the wall of the NG Church in Uitenhage Road, Sydenham.

Police spokesman Warrant Officer Alwin Labans said it was believed that the unidentified driver hit the verge and lost control of the car at about 3.30am. He died at the scene. On Friday, one person was killed when the vehicle he was travelling in overturned near Peddie at about 2am. Police spokeswoman Captain Mali Govender said the Toyota Avanza had been travelling from Port Elizabeth to King William’s Town with eight passengers when it overturned near the Keiskamma Bridge. A 33-year-old man died in the accident. “Motorists are urged to exercise caution and adhere to the speed limits as there are sections of the N2 that are under construction,” Govender said.

At about 9am on Thursday, two people were killed and 16 injured when the bakkie they were travelling in overturned.

Police said the bakkie was en route to the Nofotyo Village near Butterworth when the accident happened.