Shayandima “death stretch” claims a life

One person died and two others were injured, one of them seriously, when a taxi hit a fully laden crushed-stone truck from the back.

The accident happened on the notorious "death road" between the Muledane traffic lights and the Shayandima industrial site on Friday morning. The stretch is notorious because many accidents have happened here.

The accident happened just at the entrance to Thabelo Funeral Services, when the heavy truck was hit from behind by a Duthuni-bound taxi. Within a short space of time, the whole area was swarming with curious onlookers, who wanted to have a glimpse of the shocking and gruesome accident.

The truck driver, Mr Robert Nembidzane of A and D Transport, said that around 08:30 while he was delivering crushed stones to one of the brickyards at Shayandima industrial site, he heard a big bang. “I had switched on my indicator and was waiting for oncoming traffic to subside when I heard a loud bang. I looked in my mirrors, and I could see that a taxi had hit me from behind. I was so shocked and scared but gathered courage and alighted to have a look at what had happened,” he said.

He said it was traumatic to know that a person’s life had been lost and others injured in the accident.

Thohoyandou police spokesperson Major Mashudu Malelo confirmed the accident and said they had opened a culpable homicide docket. "The taxi had four passengers. The driver died on impact and two were injured and taken to the local hospital," he said.

Date:13 June 2014

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