Rustenburg – The N18 between Mahikeng and Setlagole is closed due to flooding, the North West Community Safety and Transport Management said.
“This is due to heavy rains that has flooded the surface, making it challenging to travel. Law enforcement is currently diverting traffic to alternative roads," the department said.
Road users driving from Mahikeng to Vryburg were requested to drive through Lotlhakane to Bethel.
Transport MEC Sello Lehari pleaded with road users to co-operate with law enforcement officers, and exercise patience while the road was currently undergoing assessment.
Lehari also pleaded with all road users to be cautious, more so because the province was experiencing heavy rains.
He urged drivers to drive according to the conditions on the road rather than the speed limit.
“It is regrettable that a high number of road users still fail to observe basic traffic regulations like adhering to speed limits and wearing safety belts. Almost all crashes are caused by reckless driving and unfathomably some road users are abusive towards traffic officers ... ”
ER24 Paramedics said a man in his 40s was critically injured when he lost control of his vehicle and crashed into a tree on the Two-Shaft Road in Orkney.
“ER24 arrived before 12 noon to find a light motor vehicle against a tree on the side of the road. Other motorists had stopped and managed to pull the man from the car. Medics assessed the man and found that he had sustained several injuries, leaving him in a critical condition," said spokesperson Russel Meiring.
He said the man was treated and provided with several advanced life support interventions before he was transported to a private hospital for urgent care.
In a separate accident, four died in a head-on collision on the R503 between Lichtenburg and Coligny on Friday.
Lehari said recent figures showed that the province has had an accident increase of just below 11% compared with the same period just before Christmas last year. The province had 55 fatalities , now up to 61, during this festive season.
“Every year statistics show that major contributors to accidents are high speed driving, drunk driving, unsafe overtaking and general disregard of the law,” Lehari said. | IOL