Cape's black weekend claims 23 lives

Published Dec 22, 2014

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Cape Town - Twenty-three people, including three children, died in road crashes in the Western Cape over the weekend - with one multiple collision on the N1 near Beaufort West claiming 10 lives on Sunday.

Provincial traffic chief Kenny Africa said the crash on the N1 between Beaufort West and Leeu-Gamka claimed nine adults who were burnt beyond recognition. A child died in hospital later.

This was the first major crash in the province since 1 December 1.

“The accident involved a taxi and a light delivery vehicle,” Africa said. “Four other taxis and a passenger car were also involved. It happened between 1am and 1.30am and at this stage we cannot determine whether the cars were leaving or coming to Cape Town - it was simply chaos on the road.”

Although the cause of the crash was not yet known, driver fatigue was suspected.

Two people were killed in the light delivery vehicle while the other eight were in a minibus taxi, and another eight were injured.

As a result of the crash traffic was backed up on the N1 for most of the morning.

Drivers on the route took to social networks to warn about the slow-moving traffic. Netstar Traffic tweeted at about 3pm that vehicles were travelling at an average of 13km/h on the N1.

Transport MEC Donald Grant said they were investigating the cause of the crash with the police and the Road Traffic Management Corporation.

“On behalf of the Western Cape government I would like to extend my deepest condolences to the families of those who have lost their lives in this horrific crash, and wish the injured a speedy recovery,” he said.

PEDESTRIAN DEATHS UP

Grant said that from 1 to 20 December there had been a slight drop in the number of Western Cape road deaths compared with last year - from 85 last year to 76 so far during December.

However, pedestrian deaths continued to rise, with 42 in the first 20 days of December, compared with 38 in 2013.

Four of the pedestrians were killed between Friday and Saturday morning. They were knocked down on the R60 between Robertson and Worcester, in Harare in Khayelitsha, in Mowbray and the Cape Winelands.

Freeway hot spots for pedestrian incidents included the N1 from Brackenfell to Joostenberg Vlakte, the N2 from Cape Town International Airport to Spine Road, the N7 adjacent to Dunoon, Vanguard Drive from Masemola Road to the R300, and the R300 from Vanguard Drive to the N2.

Grant said: “I urge all drivers travelling long distances to rest at appropriate times to ensure that the deadly effects of fatigue do not creep in and ruin their journeys. The focus areas for our law enforcement partners remain drink driving, speed, and most importantly at this time, fatigue management.

“The horrific crashes we see on our roads, particularly on long stretches such as the N1 and the N2, can no doubt be attributed to one, if not all, of these contributing factors.

“I encourage all road users to be extra vigilant during this time and mindful of all these factors as they take to the roads during this busy time.”

Africa said: “We are once again on our knees begging road users to adhere to the rules of the road. We are appealing to taxi drivers not to go on the road if they are not well rested, and to not overtake where they shouldn't.

“We have issued a call for road users to take the necessary stops if they feel tired during long-distance trips. This helps avoid unnecessary crashes; innocent people are getting killed.”

BIKER KILLED ON HELSHOOGTE

Nine other people, including a motorcyclist, lost their lives in crashes over the weekend.

The rider was killed on Helshoogte Road in Stellenbosch on Saturday when his bike and a car collided head on.

ER24 spokesman Werner Vermaak said paramedics found the motorcycle lying several metres away from the damaged car. The rider was declared dead on the scene; four other people were treated for moderate injuries and taken to hospital.

A total of 28 322 vehicles passed through the Huguenot Tunnel to Cape Town from Friday to 11am on Sunday, according to Sylvia Stevens of Tuncor Services in Paarl. She said 19 330 vehicles were recorded leaving the Cape during the same time.

Transport authorities have warned of “round-the-clock” visible policing to curb road deaths, which cost the Western Cape R21 billion in 2013.

THIRTEEN DIE ON KWAZULU-NATAL ROADS

Elsewhere, 13 people were killed in road crashes in KwaZulu-Natal over the weekend.

KZN emergency medical services spokesman Robert McKenzie said on Sunday they had attended to multiple collisions across the province.

Four people were killed and eight injured on Friday night when a minibus and car collided on a highway near Shikishela in the Umkhanyakude district.

Four others died in two accidents on Saturday, one on the R56 in the Harry Gwala district and one on the N2 in Durban, and one person died and three others were injured when a vehicle overturned and caught alight in Escourt on Sunday morning.

In the Free State, a man died and three others were injured when a bakkie and a sedan collided on the R34 outside Welkom in the Free State on Friday.

Vermaak said: “Bystanders flagged paramedics down and pointed to an area where they managed to pull two children, aged six and 10, and two adults from the bakkie moments before it was engulfed in flames.”

Another man was killed on Friday in Mpumalanga when a bakkie carrying paint rolled on the N4 near Nelspruit. ER24 spokesman Russel Meiring said the four other occupants, who were flung from the bakkie, sustained injuries ranging from minor to critical, in a statement.

MORE THAN 100 ARRESTED IN GAUTENG FOR DRIVING DRUNK

Johannesburg metro police chief superintendent Wayne Minnaar said one person had been killed and eight injured when their vehicle rolled down a steep embankment on the N12 in Fochville on Saturday.

Metro police had also arrested 109 people for drunken driving over the weekend, he said.

The arrests took place on the M1, Klein Street in Hillbrow, Bree Street in the CBD, as well as several roads in Rosettenville and Soweto.

Minnaar said more road blocks were expected for the remainder of the festive season.

“Motorists caught driving at more than 40km/h over the speed limit will be arrested,” he warned.

Authorities in the Northern Cape also clamped down on drunken driving over the weekend, arresting 21 people for driving while intoxicated.

Provincial transport department spokeswoman Keitumetse Moticoe said:

“So far 2986 vehicles have been stopped and checked with 162

summonses issued for general defects on a vehicle and other infringements.”

Department head Steven Jonkers said the biggest concern was drunken driving.

“We will not compromise but will apply the law to its full force. We are coming for those drunk drivers and we are not going to have mercy on them.”

MULTIMEDIA CAMPAIGN

Safely Home launched a multimedia campaign this month focused on the dangers associated with alcohol and road use. The campaign is live on the Safely Home website , on Twitter and is supported by radio adverts on various stations, with posters at key locations.

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