Holiday trip turns to tragedy as eight women die in N3 Van Reenen’s Pass crash

Eight women lost their lives in a tragic road accident on Thursday morning when a minibus taxi collided with a delivery truck on the N3 highway between Van Reenen’s Pass and Montrose in the Free State.

The victims were travelling from Virginia in the Free State to Durban in KwaZulu Natal for a holiday when the crash occurred in the early hours of the morning.

Free State Emergency Medical Services spokesperson Sipho Towa confirmed that emergency teams were alerted to the crash at around 4:40am.

“On arrival at the scene, it was discovered that a minibus taxi collided with a light delivery truck. Unfortunately, eight people were declared dead on the scene and six others were taken to a nearby hospital with moderate injuries,” Towa said.

He added that law enforcement and accident investigation units were at the scene conducting a full investigation. “At present there is a cleanup that is continuing, and there is also an investigation happening from law enforcement. The road is totally closed for traffic,” Towa said.

The section of the N3 where the accident occurred is known for its winding roads, heavy truck traffic, and extreme weather conditions, which often make driving difficult.

When asked about the possible cause of the accident, Towa said it was still under investigation. “At present it is not clear. Because of the impact of the collision, it looks like the taxi swayed into the wrong lane and then the oncoming truck collided with it. But the cause of the accident is still not known. The law enforcement agencies are on the scene conducting investigations. We also have our accident investigation unit on site,” he said.

Towa confirmed that police were in the process of contacting the next of kin. He said the victims were part of a group of women travelling in two minibus taxis to Durban. “It was a group of ladies making their way to a holiday in Durban,” he said.

KwaZulu Natal MEC for Transport and Human Settlements Siboniso Duma also confirmed the accident in an official statement issued later on Thursday morning.

“As we wrap up Transport Month, we are saddened by the death of people in a horrific accident on the N3 Van Reenen Pass between KwaZulu Natal and the Free State. Our Road Traffic Inspectorate together with the SAPS Accident Unit have launched an investigation to determine the cause of this accident involving a truck and a minibus taxi,” Duma said.

He added that the preliminary report from the Road Traffic Inspectorate indicated that eight people had died. “We will update figures and give a more detailed report as we move along. This morning at 05h00 I interacted with our RTI team and Traffic Ambassador Ayanda Msweli. We are saddened by this accident in view of the fact that we had an accident-free Transport Month,” said Duma.

He said that the N3 Toll Concession had agreed to close the road temporarily to allow emergency teams to carry out rescue and cleanup operations safely. “Consequently, there is traffic congestion between Van Reenen and Swinburne. We request motorists to be patient and exercise extra caution,” Duma said.

The accident brought traffic on one of South Africa’s busiest highways to a standstill for several hours, affecting thousands of motorists travelling between Gauteng, Free State, and KwaZulu Natal.

The Van Reenen’s Pass section of the N3 is a well-known accident hotspot. It carries heavy long-distance freight traffic and is frequently affected by poor visibility and slippery conditions.

This latest crash comes amid a string of fatal road accidents involving taxis in recent days. Earlier this week, seven people were killed in a taxi crash on Comaro Road in Bassonia, Johannesburg, after the driver allegedly lost control in rainy weather and collided with a bakkie.

On Sunday, seven others died in a separate accident between Dullstroom and Belfast in Mpumalanga when a minibus taxi transporting passengers from Limpopo to Gauteng collided with an SUV. Eight other passengers were seriously injured.

As investigations continue, authorities have urged motorists to exercise caution, especially when travelling on high-risk routes such as the N3.