Increased traffic reported on N1 north and south in Limpopo

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Traffic has increased on the N1 north and south in Limpopo. This is due to the large number of travellers coming to the province for the festive season.

There have been a number of collisions on the N1. Two people died in a multi-vehicle collision between Modimolle and the Kranskop toll plaza. Six others were airlifted to hospital.

The road near the site of the collision was closed. Some motorists waited for several hours before the road could be re-opened.

“We got stuck for two hours, we are driving from Gauteng to Mokopane. We took R101 road to the N1 again, and what transpired there was an accident. We are traveling in three vehicles, the other two are ahead of us, so they called us to notify us of the accident,” says a motorist Neo Kwadi.

In the collision between Polokwane and Mokopane, a truck lost control after a tyre puncture, leading to a crash involving two light vehicles. Rescuers worked around the clock to free the people that were trapped. Witnesses have described moments before the accident.

“The driver of the bakkie was going very fast, I’m not sure the speed he was traveling in, he then got a punch, after that, there was a truck that was coming so the driver of the truck tried to dodge the guy and that’s where he knocked the bakkie on the side and the truck got out and knocked the bus. The tyre of the bakkie is over there,” says a witness Ntsakisi Ringani.

“I was actually sleeping when I heard people screaming that’s when I saw the car which was about to roll over but luckily it was able to stop in time. I then saw a tyre coming towards the bus and it hit the bus and that’s why we are here,” explains witness Terrence Maduwa.

Video: Road Safety – N1 crash in Limpopo claims two lives, six others injured

Meanwhile, traffic authorities inspected vehicles during a roadblock.

Limpopo Transport MEC Florence Radzilani says, “As we speak now almost twelve vehicles have been impounded and forty-one have been issued with warrants of arrest so we want to thank our officials both traffic officers and the police.”

More roadblocks are expected to be mounted across strategic locations throughout the holidays.

Video: Road Safety – Monitoring traffic volumes in Limpopo