By REGINALD KANYANE

North West MEC for Community Safety and Transport Management, Sello Lehari urged motorists to buckle-up on the roads across the province. This comes after four people died when two vehicles, a VW Polo Vivo and Toyota Tazz collided on the N18 road in Taung recently.

Lehari said it is alleged that a Toyota Tazz with five occupants was travelling from the direction of Maphoitsile to Mokassa 1 in Taung, while a VW Polo with two male occupants, was traveling from Taung to Hartswater.

“It is alleged that the Toyota Tazz driver did not stop before crossing over the N18 and the VW Polo Vivo, which had the right of way at the time, hit the Toyota Tazz on the driver’s side.

“Four of the five occupants in the Toyota Tazz were certified dead on the scene and the other one was ferried to hospital with serious injuries. Two occupants from the VW Polo Vivo only sustained minor injuries and were treated at the scene,” he said.

Lehari said he is saddened by the tragic news.

“I am at a loss for words. The deceased met their untimely death at a very young age and in such a tragic manner. It is really unfortunate and I would like to send my sincere condolences to the bereaved families.

“I would like to plead to all road users to be extra careful while on the road. It takes a split second for a person to lose his/her life. A culpable homicide case is currently under investigation,” said Lehari.

Victims will be laid to rest on Saturday in Maphoitsile village.

In another separate accident, three people were killed when a light motor vehicle and a truck collided head-on on the R509 20km outside Derby. ER24 spokesperson, Russel Meiring said: “The paramedics arrived on the scene at around 3pm and found the truck and the car smashed together.

“After the Provincial Fire Services extinguished the blaze, medics found the bodies of a man, woman and young girl inside the car. Unfortunately, all three patients had already succumbed to their injuries,” said Meiring.

He added that nothing could be done for them, and they were declared dead. Meiring further said the driver of the truck, fortunately, escaped uninjured.

Local authorities were on the scene for further investigations.

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