02/10/2026
Four days, six crashes, three lives lost
A devastating series of road accidents leaves families grieving and emergency crews confronting collision after collision
Platinum Bushvelder newspaper | Thabazimbi – Three people lost their lives and numerous others sustained moderate to serious injuries in six road accidents reported in and around Thabazimbi, extending as far as Koedoeskop, between 23 and 26 September 2026.
Over just four days, emergency services responded to head-on collisions, vehicle fires, a fatal pedestrian accident and an overturned trailer. Families and motorists were left facing the devastating aftermath, while emergency crews repeatedly confronted serious injuries and loss of life.
For those responding to the calls, it was an exceptionally demanding and distressing period. Behind every damaged vehicle was a family whose journey had been abruptly interrupted – and, for three families, a loved one who would never return home.
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Six injured in Spitskop
head-on collision
The first accident occurred at approximately 17:56 on 23 September 2026, when two vehicles collided head-on in Spitskop. Both vehicles were written off due to the severity of the impact. Six patients from the two vehicles sustained moderate to serious injuries. Fortunately, no critical injuries were reported.
Thaba Fire and Rescue, Spitskop Rural Safety (SRS), TLM Waterberg District Fire and Rescue, Thabazimbi Police Department, Thabazimbi Traffic Department, Trauma Rescue Emergency Ambulance Service, Thabazimbi State Ambulance, IGAGU Emergency Ambulance Service and P&K Towing and Recovery responded to the scene. The scene was cleared at approximately 19:45.
Photo 1: The two badly damaged vehicles following the head-on collision in Spitskop on 23 September 2026.
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Collision beneath the railway bridge
Just over two hours after the first collision, at approximately 20:18 on 23 September 2026, emergency services were called to another accident in Thabazimbi. Two vehicles collided beneath the railway bridge on Warmbad Weg Road, between MBT and the mall. Both vehicles were written off due to the severity of the impact, although fortunately no serious injuries were reported.
Thaba Fire and Rescue, TLM Waterberg District Fire and Rescue, Thabazimbi Police Department, Thabazimbi Traffic Department, Thabazimbi State Ambulance and P&K Towing and Recovery responded. The scene was cleared at approximately 21:00.
Photo 2: One of the vehicles involved in the collision beneath the railway bridge on Warmbad Weg Road was loaded onto a low-bed recovery truck.
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Ten-year-old girl dies in R511 accident
A 10-year-old girl tragically lost her life in a single-vehicle accident on the R511 Koedoeskop–Brits Road on 25 September 2026. Emergency services responded at approximately 20:03 after the driver lost control of the vehicle. The girl’s mother sustained a serious back injury, while the other three passengers suffered injuries of varying severity.
Trauma Rescue Emergency Ambulance Service, TLM Waterberg District Fire and Rescue, Thabazimbi Police Department, Thabazimbi Traffic Department, Limpopo Provincial Traffic Department, Thabazimbi State Ambulance, P&K Towing and Recovery, Northam Plats Fire Team and Limpopo Forensic Services responded to the scene.
Emergency personnel remained on site while recovery operations and the necessary procedures were completed. The scene was cleared at approximately 01:14.
Platinum Bushvelder extends its sincerest condolences to the young girl’s family, friends and loved ones during this heartbreaking time. Our thoughts are also with her mother and the other injured passengers as they recover.
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Driver dies in fiery R510
head-on collision
While responding to the R511 accident on 25 September 2026, emergency services came across another major collision on the R510 near the Crocodile Bridge, shortly before the R511 turn-off. The accident occurred at approximately 20:12 and involved a Nissan Qashqai and a Toyota Etios, which collided head-on.
The Toyota Etios caught fire immediately after the collision. P&K Towing and Recovery managed to separate the two vehicles before the Nissan Qashqai also caught fire. The Nissan Qashqai was carrying five people – three adults and two children. All five were transported by ambulance to hospital for medical treatment.
The Toyota Etios had only one occupant, its driver, who became trapped inside as the vehicle was engulfed in flames. Tragically, he was unable to escape and died in the fire. Thaba Fire and Rescue worked to contain and extinguish the blaze. However, the flames had already become intense by the time emergency crews reached the vehicle.
Thaba Fire and Rescue, Wildmed Emergency Services, Northam Plats Fire Team, Thabazimbi Police Department, Thabazimbi Traffic Department, Limpopo Provincial Traffic Department, Thabazimbi State Ambulance, TLM Waterberg District Fire and Rescue and Limpopo Forensic Services responded to the scene. The scene was cleared at approximately 01:54.
Platinum Bushvelder extends its sincerest condolences to the deceased driver’s family, friends and loved ones. We also wish the injured occupants of the Nissan Qashqai strength and healing.
Photo 3: The Toyota Etios engulfed in flames following the head-on collision on the R510 near the Crocodile Bridge on 25 September 2026.
Photo 4: The damaged Nissan Qashqai following the R510 collision. Its five occupants — three adults and two children — were transported to hospital.
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Pedestrian killed opposite Thaba Trans
In the early hours of Saturday 26 September 2026, emergency services responded to a fatal pedestrian accident on the R510, on the road into Thabazimbi from Lephalale.
At approximately 02:01, a flatbed truck travelling towards Thabazimbi struck two pedestrians opposite Thaba Trans. One of the pedestrians tragically succumbed to his injuries almost immediately at the scene. The second sustained moderate injuries and was transported to hospital for further medical treatment.
The deceased was well known in Regorogile, and news of his sudden passing sent shockwaves through the community that knew him.
Thaba Fire and Rescue, Thabazimbi Police Department, Thabazimbi Traffic Department, Just Local Towing, P&K Towing and Recovery, Thabazimbi State Ambulance, Bela-Bela Pathology and Limpopo Forensic Services responded to the scene. The scene was cleared at approximately 07:13.
Platinum Bushvelder extends its sincerest condolences to the deceased’s family, friends and the Regorogile community mourning his loss. We wish the injured pedestrian a steady recovery.
Photo 5: The flatbed truck involved in the collision with two pedestrians opposite Thaba Trans on the R510.
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Family’s move disrupted as furniture trailer overturns
The final accident reported during the four-day period occurred at approximately 19:54 on Saturday 26 September 2026, on the R510 near Ben Alberts. The incident involved a vehicle towing a trailer loaded with furniture belonging to a family who were moving to Fochville. It is alleged that the driver lost control of the vehicle, causing the trailer to overturn.
Fortunately, no injuries were reported. Some of the furniture was damaged, but the family managed to salvage the undamaged belongings and returned to the flat where they had been living. Thaba Fire and Rescue and P&K Towing and Recovery attended the scene. The incident was cleared at approximately 22:03.
Photo 6: Furniture scattered after a trailer overturned on the R510 near Ben Alberts, disrupting a family’s move to Fochville. No injuries were reported.
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Extracted from Platinum Bushvelder newspaper – October 2026 Issue 1
