Five people died and six were injured when two vehicles collided head-on on the R518 road in Lephalale Municipality in South Africa’s Limpopo province on Friday evening.
Both drivers and three female passengers died at the scene after a sedan attempted to overtake and crashed into an oncoming vehicle, the Limpopo Department of Transport and Community Safety said in a statement Saturday.
Six injured passengers were transported to nearby hospitals.
The crash occurred in the Waterberg District amid increased traffic volumes during South Africa’s Heritage Month celebrations.
“Law enforcement officers have not ruled out the possibility of reckless driving while awaiting the results of formal investigations,” the department said.
Transport and Community Safety MEC Violet Mathye had announced stepped-up traffic management measures Thursday to prepare for expected surge in road travel during the holiday period.
“On behalf of the people of Limpopo, I wish to extend our condolences to the families of those who perished and wish the injured a speedy recovery,” Mathye said in a statement.
The provincial government deployed additional traffic law enforcement officers along major routes including the N1, N11 and R101 highways.
Department spokesperson Tshifhiwa Dali said law enforcement visibility would be intensified on major routes throughout the weekend.
“A zero-tolerance approach will be maintained towards dangerous conduct such as speeding, overloading, drunk driving, and operating unroadworthy vehicles,” the department stated.
South Africa records approximately 14,000 road deaths annually, according to the Road Traffic Management Corporation.
The Lephalale Municipality is located approximately 200 kilometers northwest of Pretoria in the Waterberg District.
Police continue investigating the cause of the collision.
