Weekend accidents push up death toll
THE Eastern Cape road accident death toll yesterday rose to 170 following several fatal accidents over the Christmas weekend.
Transport department spokesman Ncedo Kumbaca said there had so far been 192 car crashes involving more than 245 vehicles since the start of the festive season. Of the 170 fatalities, 24 people had died since December 23.
On Goodwill Day, also known as Boxing Day, five members of one family were killed after the car they were travelling in collided with a minibus taxi.
The accident happened around 8pm near Centane, just four kilometres from the coast, Butterworth police spokesman Jackson Manatha said.
Manatha said the five people were travelling in a bakkie on their way home from Qolorha.
He said five other men, all in their 30s, were travelling in the minibus.
Two other vehicles driving behind the bakkie allegedly also crashed into the wreckage.
Five people died instantly and eight others were critically injured and rushed to hospital.
“The cause of the accident is not known and it is still being investigated by the Centane police, who are investigating a case of culpable homicide,” Manatha said.
“The identities of the deceased are being withheld until their next of kin and close family members are informed of their death.”
Yesterday another fatal car crash took place in Ngqeleni outside Mthatha when a truck collided with three vehicles – two passenger vehicles and a bakkie.
Four people were killed instantly and four others injured.
Kumbaca said the incident took place around 10am yesterday after a passenger vehicle collided with a truck. Two other vehicles, a bakkie and another passenger vehicle, crashed into the wreckage.
Kumbaca said the main problem faced by traffic officials was “speeding and overtaking”.
He said the the main routes where motorists should travel with caution included the N2, the N9 between Willowmore and Middelburg, the R63 from Graaff-Reinet to Beaufort West, the R61 from Mthatha to Queenstown and the N6 from Jamestown to East London.
“The main causes of the accidents were stray animals and fatigue,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) reported that 160 motorists were charged with fraud and corruption after being arrested for possession of false driving documents.
A taxi driver was also arrested for trying to bribe an undercover anticorruption officer in Johannesburg, while a Tshwane metro officer was arrested for soliciting bribes during a law enforcement operation.
RTMC spokesman Simon Zwane said more than 1 660 drivers were arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol, 276 were arrested for overloading goods, 199 for overloading passengers and 117 for driving at excessive speed. —