Five men killed, four hospitalised after head-on crash on P97 in Mpumalanga

Five people have died and four others were seriously injured following a head-on collision between a light motor vehicle and a sports utility vehicle on the P97 Road in Mpumalanga, police said.

What happened

The crash occurred on the P97 Road between Perdekop and Amersfoort on Thursday night. The collision involved a light motor vehicle and an SUV.

Casualties and injuries

Police said the five deceased were all men. The fatalities included both drivers and passengers from the two vehicles. Four other occupants sustained serious injuries and are receiving medical treatment in hospital.

Investigation and official response

The cause of the collision is currently under investigation. Authorities said reckless and negligent driving cannot be ruled out at this stage.

Mpumalanga MEC for Community Safety, Security and Liaison, Jackie Macie, urged motorists to take care on the roads to prevent further loss of life. She said:

“Our roads have become killing fields largely due to human behaviour. We are appealing to all road users to respond positively to the government’s road safety messages to spare lives. We should also strengthen efforts to punish reckless driver behaviour to lend more credence to our road safety messages.”

Macie extended condolences to the families of the deceased and wished the injured a speedy recovery.

Background

Further details about the collision, including the events leading up to it, were not provided. The investigation into the cause remains ongoing.