Taxi driver killed in KwaZulu-Natal head-on collision

Tragedy on the N3: Taxi driver killed in KwaZulu-Natal

A KwaZulu-Natal taxi driver tragically lost his life on Saturday night after allegedly driving in the wrong lane and colliding head-on with a bakkie on the N3 Pietermaritzburg-bound near BP Oasis, close to Cato Ridge.

ALS Paramedics spokesperson, Garrith Jamieson, described the scene as “chaos and carnage” when medics arrived just before 11pm.

“Paramedics found that a taxi, which was allegedly driving contraflow in the fast lane, had collided head-on with a bakkie,” Jamieson said.

Sourced: The Citizen

Fatal injuries and serious trauma

Both drivers were trapped in the wreckage. The eThekweni Fire Department was quickly dispatched to assist in extricating the victims. Unfortunately, the taxi driver, believed to be in his thirties, had sustained fatal injuries and was declared dead on the scene.

The bakkie’s two occupants survived but were seriously injured. Paramedics worked to stabilize them before they were carefully freed from the wreckage and transported to a nearby hospital for further care.

“At this stage, the exact events leading up to the incident are unknown,” Jamieson added. Metro Police and SAPS are investigating.

KZN fire contained

In separate KwaZulu-Natal news, an industrial fire in Hammarsdale has been contained. The blaze gutted Inkulu Pipe Solutions at Coveway Industrial Park on Sunday morning, but no injuries or fatalities were reported. eThekwini Fire Services responded promptly after receiving an emergency call at 10:26am, preventing the fire from spreading to neighbouring areas.

The N3 remains a critical but often dangerous route connecting KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng. Contraflow incidents, especially at night, pose a high risk for head-on collisions, highlighting the ongoing need for road safety campaigns and law enforcement presence on major highways. Social media users have expressed outrage and grief over the taxi driver’s death, with many calling for stricter monitoring of taxi operations in the province.