Johannesburg - Two adults and three children who were travelling in a car were burnt beyond recognition when another vehicle collided with theirs on the N17 between Ermelo and Davel in Mpumalanga.
The crash occurred around 1am on Thursday.
Spokesperson for the Mpumalanga Department of Community Safety, Security and Liaison Moeti Mmusi said indications were the Toyota Sedan was travelling from Davel to Ermelo.
The Ford, he said, was allegedly stationary on the shoulder of the road in the direction of Davel to Ermelo when the Toyota crashed into it.
“The deceased were burnt beyond recognition when the Ford sedan caught fire on impact.
“The deceased include the driver of the Ford sedan and four passengers. They include three children.
“One of the children was seated on the mother’s lap at the back seat when the crash occurred.
“The driver of the Toyota sedan and one passenger sustained serious injuries,” Moeti said.
The cause of the crash is not known at this stage, and Moeti said police working with Safety Engineering Unit in the Department had already commenced with the investigation.
Mpumalanga MEC Community Safety, Security and Liaison, Vusi Shongwe has called on motorists to be extremely alert, especially at night when visibility is reduced.
He said roads were becoming increasingly dangerous mainly due to human behaviour.
"Despite endless messages that are spread through all available platforms, people seemingly do not take to heart the importance of using the road safely, judging by the number of these deadly crashes."
"We will continue to work hard as a Department to implement Road Safety education programmes and law enforcement operations. Our law enforcement officers will continue with zero-tolerance towards bad driver behaviour," Shongwe said.
IOL