Central SA
Police investigate N3 accident after two children die─── TSHEHLA KOTELI 07:32 Mon, 10 Apr 2023
Police in the Free State are investigating a case of culpable homicide after two children lost their lives when a bakkie overturned on the N3.
Police spokesperson Mmako Mophiring says it is alleged that the driver lost control of the bakkie which was carrying six children.
Two children aged two and 11 years were declared dead on the scene by paramedics.
Provincial Emergency Medical Services (EMS) spokesperson Sipho Towa says they received a call on Sunday 9 April at 12:35 about an accident between Harrismith and Ven Reenen.
Apart from the two children who died, one had been critically injured, while the other was slightly injured.
All those who survived the accident were transported to Thebe Hospital in Harrismith.
Mophiring explains that the other children are aged between five and 12 years.
Meanwhile, at 12:39 on the same day, emergency services were summoned to the N8 near Sannaspos, 40km outside Bloemfontein.
Towa says on arrival, VRMED assessed the patients and declared one person dead, while another person sustained minor injuries.
It is unclear at the moment what caused the collision.
“Our thoughts and condolences are with the family and we wish a speedy recovery to the person with minor injuries,” concludes Towa.
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OFM News previously reported that seven passengers who survived a collision between two buses and a truck on Thursday (6/4) had to spend their Easter weekend in hospital.
Two patients were transferred to Pelonomi Hospital in Bloemfontein while others awaited X-ray results at the Albert Nzula District Hospital in Trompsburg, said Mondli Mvambi, Free State health department spokesperson.
No one died in the accident between Trompsburg and Edenburg.
Towa said the truck driver lost control and collided with two buses headed in the direction of Trompsburg. It is understood that the truck had been travelling from Cape Town to Durban. One bus was travelling from Zimbabwe to Cape Town while the other was headed for Cape Town from Johannesburg.
The Department of Community Safety, Roads and Transport launched its Easter Road Safety programme earlier on Thursday. MEC Maqueen Letsoha-Mathae said its aim was for road users to arrive safely during the Easter weekend.
