Polokwane - Traffic authorities in Limpopo have appealed to motorists travelling along the N1 north between Polokwane and Matoks to rather use Soekmekar road, as emergency personnel clear the road after a fatal accident.
The accident, killing three people, occurred when a truck and a sedan collided about 15km from Polokwane.
Departmental spokesperson Kagiso Moatlane on Thursday said: “At around 3am along we had two motor vehicles which were involved. Unfortunately three people who were travelling in the sedan lost their lives at the scene and four people from the truck were injured,” said Moatlane.
The truck which was transporting mayonnaise to Zimbabwe ended up on its side, blocking the entire lane and spilling diesel.
The road was closed for more than 10 hours as authorities battled to clear the scene littered with broken bottles.
Traffic heading out of Polokwane towards the north was allowed to drive on the side of the road causing traffic to stretch for over five kilometres.
Some motorists stopped and helped themselves to mayonnaise from the truck until the police intervened.
Moatlane urged motorists to use alternative routes.
“At this stage we are not sure what caused the accident – it is unclear at this stage. We are not sure it but it appeared to be fatigue,” she said.
“We would like to caution motorists to be extra careful when driving at night or in the early hours of the morning”.
She warned that this period was generally more prone to accidents and that truck drivers should take regular breaks to avoid fatigue.
African News Agency
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