Durban – Three people died and several others – including road construction workers – were injured when a bakkie and a haulage truck collided on the N3 Durban-bound before the Shongweni offramp West of Durban.
Witnesses said the bakkie collided with the barriers, where workers were working, and burst into flames.
The truck lost control and veered through the centre medium accross the North Bound Carriageway down an embankment before coming to a stop in a thicket.
ALS Paramedics spokesperson Garrith Jamieson said they were aleertedof the deadly crash just after 09:15 am on Friday, 16 January 2026.
“Paramedics arrived on the scene to find chaos and carnage as they found a bakkie engulfed in flames,” recounted Jamieson.
“Immediately, the Ethekweni Fire Department was dispatched.”
Jamieson said the truck driver sustained moderate injuries.
“Four construction workers had sustained various injuries and were stabilised on the scene by ALS Paramedics before being transported to a nearby Hospital for the further care that they required,” the spokesperson said.
“Unfortunately, three occupants of the bakkie sustained fatal injuries, and there was nothing paramedics could do for them; they were declared deceased on the scene.”
The N3 Durban Bound was temporarily closed near the crash scene.
The police and Road Traffic Inspectorate officials were in attendance and will be investigating further.
Commenting on the fatalities, KwaZulu-Natal Transport and Human Settlements MEC Siboniso Duma said: “We wish to express our deepest condolences to the families of the three victims of a horrific accident along the N3”.
MEC Duma said the bakkie was travelling on the westbound towards Pietermaritzburg when it lost control and collided head-on with a truck that was travelling towards Durban.
“According to the truck driver, this bakkie came flying from the opposite lane through the centre median into his truck, where it hit just below the windscreen,” MEC Duma said.
“The momentum carried the bakkie to the concrete barriers and pushed them into five construction workers from WBHO who were busy with their duties.
“The bakkie caught fire in the process, where two of the occupants got burnt beyond recognition. Somehow, one occupant got thrown out of the vehicle.”
“Sadly, amongst the three occupants, two got burnt inside the vehicle.”
