Driver behaviour is expected to come under renewed scrutiny after a horror collision on the N3 in the Vosloorus area south of Alberton claimed the lives of ten and brought traffic to a standstill.
Spokesperson for the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC), Simon Zwane, confirmed this morning that a case of culpable homicide had been reported to police after a truck came to a sudden stop near the Barry Marais Interchange.
A Freightliner truck is said to have stopped after smoke from a veld fire wafted across the highway, causing several vehicles including a minibus taxi and a bakkie to plough into it.
Investigators are still looking into the accident and details of conditions at the time are unclear, but it seems haze on the highway and excessive speeding could have contributed to the multiple collision.
According to eye witness accounts the taxi burst into fire on impact and at least one passenger was trapped inside, burnt beyond recognition.
When paramedics arrived on the scene shortly after 1:30pm yesterday, they found almost nine people scattered across the highway.
Eight had already succumbed to their injuries and a ninth person died as paramedics freed him from his bakkie.
A tenth person died from abdominal injuries this morning.
Zwane said the RTMC would release further information about the reason why the truck stopped once investigators had pieced together all the information.
