Back-to-Back Crashes Leave Eastern Cape Reeling: One Dead, 32 Injured on N6

Two Fatal Crashes in One Week Shake Eastern Cape Communities

Families left reeling as head-on collisions on the N2 and N6 raise fresh alarm about road safety in the province.

Eastern Cape communities are waking up shaken and frustrated after yet another deadly road crash, the second major accident in just a few days, leaving one person dead and 32 others injured.

The province, already burdened by some of the country’s most challenging road conditions, is once again asking the same painful question: How many more lives must be lost before road safety improves?

A Night Drive Turns Tragic on Penhoek Pass

The latest crash occurred late Tuesday evening, just after 10:30pm, at the foot of Penhoek Pass, a notoriously tricky stretch on the N6 between Komani and Jamestown.

A Greyhound bus and a VW Tiago collided head-on, leaving the VW driver trapped and fatally injured.
Thirty-two people sustained injuries, with one patient in critical condition and transported to Frontier Hospital in Komani.

The remaining 31 passengers refused hospital treatment, likely shaken but determined to continue their journeys, a common reaction among bus passengers who fear delays, financial setbacks, or missing connecting transport.

Eastern Cape Transport Department spokesperson Unathi Binqose confirmed that an investigation is underway to determine what led to the collision.

Just Days Earlier: A Government Official Also Killed on the N2

This tragedy comes on the heels of another devastating crash on Sunday, where a provincial government official was killed in a head-on collision on the N2 between Butterworth and East London.

The official’s identity has not been released publicly, but Binqose described the incident as deeply saddening for the department.

The N2 crash involved a government vehicle travelling toward Butterworth and a Toyota double-cab with four family members heading in the opposite direction. The impact was fatal and has left both colleagues and community members heartbroken.

A Province Already Battling Road Tragedies

What makes these back-to-back crashes even more painful is the timing.

Just hours before the second tragedy, the Transport Department had praised motorists for a weekend free of major accidents, a rare moment of hope in a province known for difficult passes, unpredictable weather, speeding, and fatigue-related crashes.

“To experience such devastation so soon afterwards has been difficult for us to digest,” Binqose said, reflecting a sentiment many Eastern Cape residents share: progress is too often followed by heartbreak.

A case of culpable homicide and reckless and negligent driving has been opened at Kei Bridge SAPS.

Public Reaction: “Something Must Change”

On social media, Eastern Cape residents reacted with frustration and sorrow.
Many pointed out that the N2 and N6, lifelines between major towns have become hotspots for horrific collisions.

Local drivers say poor lighting, speeding long-distance traffic, and narrow road shoulders add to the risk. Others argue that fatigue among bus drivers remains an unaddressed issue.

Some Komani residents shared stories of narrowly escaping accidents on Penhoek Pass, calling for:

• Increased night patrols

• Speed monitoring

• Safety audits on public transport operators

For families in the province, these aren’t isolated stories, they are part of a long and painful pattern.

A Renewed Call for Safe Roads

As investigations begin, communities are hoping for more than condolences. They want action, stronger enforcement, improved road maintenance, driver fatigue monitoring, and better public awareness campaigns ahead of the festive season, when fatalities traditionally spike.

For now, the department has extended its deepest condolences to the affected families as they begin the difficult task of mourning loved ones lost too soon.

{Source: The Citizen}

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