1 Killed in Shakaskraal Tragedy, Vehicle Plunges off Bridge and Lands on Train Tracks Below

• One person was killed when a vehicle plunged off a bridge and crashed onto train tracks below
• According to witnesses at the scene, the driver of the vehicle ran away after the accident in Shakaskraal
• South Africans described the road as being dangerous, saying many lives had been lost there before

KWAZULU-NATAL – One person was killed in a tragic accident on New Year’s Day in Shakaskraal in the Ilembe District Municipality.

Six others were injured after a vehicle plunged off a bridge and landed on train tracks below.

The incident happened on the afternoon of 1 December 2025 between the N2 and R102, Shakaskraal.

Vehicle lands on train tracks

According to emergency medical service provider IPSS Medical Rescue, they responded to a single-vehicle accident on the link road between the N2 and R102.

There, they found that a vehicle had gone over the bridge and fallen approximately 50m onto the train tracks below.

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The road is known for being steep and having sharp curves and has been deemed unsafe in the past.

Driver allegedly flees the scene

Witnesses told paramedics that the driver ran away from the scene, but the rest of the vehicle's occupants weren’t as lucky.

One person was killed, while six others suffered serious injuries and had to be stabilised by paramedics at the scene.

Four of the six were transported to nearby medical facilities for further treatment.

KZN has had its fair share of tragedies of late. On 11 December 2024, one person died and six others were injured during a cash-in-transit (CIT) heist in New Germany.

South Africans weigh in on tragic accident

Social media users touched on the tragedy, with some saying that the section of the road was dangerous. Some of KZN's roads have been identified as accident hotspots, and nearly 200 traffic officers were deployed to those areas in the province over the festive season.

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Goodman Mthethwa said:

“If it's true that the driver left the scene, then he might have been drinking.”

Mike Blackbird stated:

“Dangerous bend.”

Francis Sibonelo Gwala asked:

“Eish. This reminds me of the Lifestyle Spar employees' accident and the time the train used to travel on those tracks.😪Aren't there any guard rails, kanti?”

Wiseman Vilakazi added:

“That's a very dangerous bend, and many lives have been lost there. Drivers need to respect the rules of the road.”

Lwazie Ngubane Ka Gumede said:

“What a bad way to start the year.”

7 killed in New Year's Even crash

The end of 2024 and the beginning of 2025 was marred by tragedy as seven people died on the N4 in Mpumalanga.

Briefly News reported that a car lost control and swerved into oncoming traffic, colliding with another vehicle.

A toddler was among the victims of the crash, with South Africans condemning the reckless driving on the roads.

Source: Briefly News