Vryheid Head-On Collision Claims Two Lives, Leaves Children Critically Injured

• A head-on collision on the R34 near Hennie's Garage outside Vryheid left one adult and one child dead
• Several children and adults were seriously injured, with emergency teams providing urgent on-site treatment before hospital transfer
• Police are investigating the cause of the crash as the community mourns the tragic loss of life

A devastating head-on collision on the R34 near Hennie's Garage, just outside Vryheid, left one adult and one child dead, and two children were seriously injured on Monday afternoon, 12 January 2026.

KwaZulu Private Ambulance Service responded to the scene at approximately 13:30. First responders were confronted with the aftermath of a violent collision between two passenger vehicles, which left wreckage strewn across the road and partially obstructing traffic.

Emergency services treat the injured

Emergency teams immediately began triaging the occupants. Tragically, one adult male was declared deceased at the scene. Several other passengers, including four young children, sustained critical injuries. Two children, aged between five and ten years, were in a life-threatening condition and required urgent advanced medical intervention on-site to stabilise them. A three-year-old girl also sustained serious injuries, alongside three adult passengers.

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After stabilising the injured, paramedics transported them to nearby hospitals for urgent specialist care. Despite these efforts, one of the critically injured children, aged 10, later succumbed to her injuries at the hospital. The South African Police Service (SAPS) is on the scene and has launched a formal investigation into the cause of the crash.

A two-year-old dies in a head-on collision.

In a similar incident, a two-year-old girl lost her life in a head-on collision on the N1-25 near Tobias, Limpopo, on 19 December 2025. The crash happened shortly after midday when two vehicles collided head-on, triggering a multi-vehicle accident. Three people sustained injuries in the crash, which led to the temporary closure of the road to allow emergency services to assist and clear the scene. Reports suggest that unsafe overtaking and reckless driving may have contributed to the incident.

3 Briefly News articles on accidents

Previously, Briefly News reported that five members of the same family were killed in an accident in Sekhukhune, Limpopo, on 16 November 2025. Reports say a double-cab bakkie was travelling on the D4170 on the Mopets Bridge in the Fetakgomo Tubatse Municipality. Eight people were travelling in the car when it veered off and plunged down an embankment. Six people died. Two people were rushed to the nearest hospital.

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In another incident, two people were killed and more than several others were injured during a horrific accident that took place in Limpopo on 25 December 2025. Reports indicate the accident happened in the early hours on the N1 outside Louis Trichardt in the early hours of the morning. A bus collided with a truck in a head-on collision. The drivers of the two vehicles were killed. The injured were taken to Siloam and Louis Trichardt Memorial Hospital.

Eight people were killed, and several were injured in an accident that occurred on the N3 in the Free State on 15 January 2025. According to eNCA, the accident happened between Van Reenen's Pass and Montrose. At the time of reporting, it was unclear how the accident took place. Reports stated that a truck and a taxi collided with each other, and several others were injured.

Source: Briefly News