BERGVILLE – Tragedy struck again on the N3 this morning when four people lost their lives in a horrific crash involving a truck and a minibus taxi near the Bergville Interchange.
KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Transport and Human Settlements, Siboniso Duma, confirmed the fatalities in a statement on Saturday morning, expressing condolences to the families of the victims.
“I have just been informed by our highly dedicated and efficient team from the Road Traffic Inspectorate about another horrific accident involving a truck on the N3,” said Duma.
“We express our deepest condolences to the families of the victims whose lives have been altered by this tragedy.”
Emergency services, SAPS, and the Road Traffic Inspectorate were on scene for several hours, leading to a full closure of the northbound carriageway towards Gauteng.
Read | N3 Closed Near Bergville Following Taxi and Truck Crash
The N3 Toll Concession (N3TC) has since confirmed that by 11h00 all northbound lanes had been reopened, though traffic flow will only normalise once the heavy backlog clears. Motorists have been warned to expect delays and to exercise extreme caution in the area.
Thania Dhoogra, Chief Operating Officer of N3TC, thanked all partners in the road incident management system (RIMS) for their quick response and dedication in assisting victims and reopening the busy freight corridor.
This crash comes just a week after a devastating collision between a truck and a light motor vehicle between Amatigulu and Dokodweni, which claimed the lives of five family members and a truck driver.
MEC Duma stressed that while authorities are intensifying road safety enforcement, driver behaviour remains a critical factor, with research showing that up to 87% of road fatalities in South Africa are linked to human error.
He reaffirmed the province’s commitment to a road safety strategy centred on Enforcement, Education, Engineering, and Evaluation.
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