Durban — Three people died on Saturday on the R34 near Utrecht when a truck lost control, veering off the road.
The R34 is a long provincial route that connects Vryburg with Richards Bay via Kroonstad and Newcastle.
It passes through three provinces, those being North West, Free State and KwaZulu-Natal.
According to KwaZulu Private Ambulance Service (KZPA) spokesperson Craig Botha, the service responded following reports of the collision.
“When emergency services arrived they found that a truck had lost control and collided off the road. Paramedics quickly assessed the scene and found that three occupants had sustained fatal injuries and succumbed to them before emergency services arrived,” Botha said.
Paramedics said that the cause of the collision was unknown, but authorities were investigating.
Lieutenant-Colonel Nqobile Gwala said that a case of culpable homicide is being investigated by Ingogo SAPS.
“It is alleged that on August 19, 2022, at 2.06pm, three people died after the truck overturned. The circumstances surrounding the incident are being investigated.”
Earlier in August, three occupants of a truck that also lost control escaped the crash alive.
Botha said they arrived on the scene and found that a truck had lost control and overturned on the N2 near Esikhawini.
“Paramedics quickly assessed the scene and found that three patients had sustained serious injuries. The patients were treated on scene before being transported to the hospital for further treatment.”
Daily News