Fatal R33 Collision Involving Taxi Leaves Two Dead, Eight Injured
- A horrific vehicle accident between a minibus taxi and a light vehicle left two people dead and eight others injured
- The head-on collision occurred on the R33 outside Copeville in Pietermaritzburg on Monday morning, 15 December 2025
- The crash created a major hazard, forcing authorities to close the R33 in both directions for about an hour
Justin Williams, a journalist at Briefly News since 2024, covers South Africa’s current affairs. Before joining Briefly News, he served as a writer and chief editor at Right for Education Africa’s South African chapter.
Source: Twitter
A tragic crash on the R33 outside Copeville in Pietermaritzburg claimed the lives of two people and left eight others injured. The accident involved a head-on collision between a minibus taxi and a VW Polo hatchback.
2 Killed in car crash
The crash occurred at around 8:30 on Monday morning, 15 December. Emergency medical personnel confirmed that both fatalities were occupants of the hatchback. Medical personnel attended to the remaining eight people, with two sustaining critical, life-threatening injuries, three suffering serious injuries, and three others sustaining minor injuries that were treated on-site before being taken to the hospital.
Personnel from KwaZulu Private Ambulance Service worked closely with the Fire Department, South African Police Service (SAPS), and other private and provincial ambulance teams in an effort to triage, stabilise, and extricate the patients. The South African Police Service (SAPS) is investigating the exact cause of the collision.
Source: Twitter
Other vehicle crashes in 2025
In addition to the R33 crash, several other accidents have occurred across South Africa, highlighting the ongoing traffic safety concerns. An accident on the N12 between Ogies and Emalahleni has left at least seven people dead. The accident, which took place on the morning of Monday, 08 December 2025, happened between a sedan and a light delivery vehicle (LDV). It’s believed that one of the vehicles lost control and crossed into oncoming traffic, resulting in the crash. Five of the victims, two women and three men, were travelling in the sedan, while two men were killed in the Nissan LDV.
Multiple people have died following an accident on the N3, Pietermaritzburg-bound. The fatalities occurred after a taxi collided with a vehicle and then veered off the road. The incident happened before 17:30 near the Shongweni off-ramp. The taxi, which was travelling to Ixopo, plunged down the embankment and landed approximately 50 to 60 metres below the road level. According to ALS Paramedics, who were on the scene, emergency service officials had to go down towards the vehicle and stabilise the injured patients.
One person died when a bus caught alight on the P100 route in Ndwedwe, KwaZulu-Natal, following an accident. At least 54 others were injured in the collision, which happened when the driver lost control in the afternoon hours. The large vehicle was transporting Nazareth Baptist Church (Shembe) congregants while authorities were still working to determine the cause of the crash. However, there are reports about possible brake failure.
Five people killed in Limpopo accident
Briefly News reported that five members of the same family lost their lives in an accident on the D4170 in Sekhukhune. The driver of a double bakkie lost control, and it veered off the road, killing six people on the scene.
South Africans commenting on the incident were horrified by what happened, and some blamed the drivers.
Source: Briefly News
