On a South African highway, a collision between a car and a minibus resulted in the tragic deaths of 19 pupils. Let’s examine the South African highway accident and the specifics of what transpired.
What happened on the South African Highway?
The incident occurred on Friday afternoon in the Pongola district, which is located approximately 300 kilometers north of Durban.
On the two-lane highway, a frightening dashcam video showed the moment the tractor-trailer overtook another truck before colliding with the schoolchildren’s minibus.
According to local media sources, before being struck by the incoming vehicle, the minibus allegedly attempted to swerve out of the path. Authorities said that three adults and 19 children aged five to twelve were killed in the crash.
The disaster occurred in the Pongola region, close to the Eswatini border. South Africa’s roads are among the most developed on the African continent, yet safety remains a concern, with irresponsible driving blamed for the majority of incidents.
The children were reportedly traveling home from school at the time.
What happened to the kids?
On the two-lane highway, a frightening dashcam video showed the moment the tractor-trailer overtook another truck before colliding with the schoolchildren’s minibus.
According to local media sources, before being struck by the incoming vehicle, the minibus allegedly attempted to swerve out of the path.
Authorities said that three adults and 19 children aged five to twelve were killed in the crash.
The children were reportedly traveling home from school at the time.
In addition, according to accounts from the scene, up to twelve students sustained minor to moderate injuries, while one adult also sustained moderate injuries, according to Em-G-Med.
According to Kyle van Reenen, a spokesman for Emer-G-Med, the injured pupils were treated and stabilized at the scene before being taken to other nearby hospitals for further care.
Truck driver arrested
According to eNCA, after the truck driver fled the scene, authorities were able to catch him on Saturday when he turned himself in.
He is set to appear in court on Monday.
Furthermore, the regional minister of transport, Sipho Hlomuka, stated, “The loss of so many young lives is a terrible tragedy.”
Even though South Africa’s roads are among the most developed on the continent, safety remains a worry due to the prevalence of irresponsible driving.
Similar Tragic Accidents
In 2017, a minibus carrying 19 students collided with a truck in the Mpumalanga region, north of the capital Pretoria, and burst into flames, killing all 19 occupants. Elementary and secondary-aged children were said to have been on board.
In 2018, a British teenager and her royal family-related mother were murdered while returning from a safari expedition.
Both Louise Sword, 53, and Tabitha, 12, were killed when a Mercedes struck them head-on in Zinkwazi, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Alistair, her 53-year-old husband, and Benjamin, her 11-year-old son, were both extracted from the wrecked SUV.
And in 2019, while traveling the legendary 450-mile Garden Route from Cape Town to Port Elizabeth, three British tourists perished when their 4×4 crashed over a bridge and plummeted 75 feet into a river.
The double cab Toyota station wagon and luggage trailer were engaged in a collision with a Chrysler Neon as the group was returning from their “perfect holiday.”
How are People reacting to this incident?
IBN uploaded,
I traveled this road for fifteen years. It was always a disaster waiting to occur. Residential areas and steep terrain slow down trucks and autos. Heartbreaking.
Acteon announced,
First, the vehicle did not even attempt to slow down before impact, despite the van being clearly visible. Second, is the van a disguised clown car? How are there even 21 individuals in there?
Craze posted,
In South Africa, these vans resemble taxis in that they are virtually always packed to capacity.
Wunch published,
I observed that the van turned to the left and the truck followed suit.
Entrophic shown,
In South America, we have vehicles similar to school buses, which resemble large vans into which children can be crammed to be transported to and from school; this was likely one of those.
Greg published,
Even though he applied the air brakes. This truck’s bulk and inertia are so great that it requires an extremely long distance to slow down.
Impressive posted,
I believe the truck’s brakes failed. Air brakes eventually fail due to overheating. Same applies with hydraulic brakes, however when you have a load and begin to lose control of your vehicle, you must dispose of it wherever possible.
Noopen posted,
Yes, I was curious about both of those matters. Whoever crams 19 youngsters into a van raises my suspicions.
Bluscus announced,
The location is South Africa. And as a South African, this is perfectly normal driving behavior. We have SO MANY traffic fatalities every day. Not to mention automobiles that are grossly overloaded on the road. It is horrific.
Allie published,
The driver stated that his brakes failed before fleeing the scene. He was arrested and is scheduled to appear in court on Monday. In one piece, “unregulated school transport” is almost blamed for the vehicle that was transporting children to school.
19 children and 2 adults are murdered when a truck collides with a school bus in South Africa.
Friday, on a South African highway, a truck collided head-on with a school bus, resulting in the deaths of 19 children and 2 adults.
Local station News 24 stated that dashcam footage captured the truck driver attempting to unlawfully pass another truck over a double line on a two-lane highway outside Pongola before colliding with the bus.
The motorist is apparently facing charges of careless driving and homicide by vehicle. According to the source, he handed himself in to authorities after first fleeing the scene.
The broadcaster reported that the victims were all between the ages of 5 and 12 years old. Apparently, the two adult victims were the bus driver and another passenger. Uncertain whether anyone on the bus survived.
Locals reported that aggressive truck drivers have taken over the roadways since the region’s railroads and ports were inoperable.
Adrian Chaning-Pearce told the station, “Drivers drive anyway they like, and some trucking companies do not pay their drivers appropriately; they are paid by load.”
“Communities utilizing and residing along the N2 in Pongola are being harassed, and [there have been] indications of impending issues. We informed the authorities that [what occurred] was merely a question of time.”
