Emergency services were called to the scene on Monday afternoon (10/11), said Free State road incident management systems chairperson Sipho Towa. Upon arrival, four people were declared dead on the scene. No one else was involved.

Both lanes of the national route were affected, causing traffic delays.

Four more lives were lost after a collision on the N3, 13 km south of Villiers. Photo supplied

It adds to a pattern of road fatalities in the Free State in recent days. Earlier that morning, one person was killed and several others injured when a minibus collided with a light delivery truck on the R26, about 4 km from Vanstadensrus.

On Saturday (8/11), three children lost their lives in a crash on the R76 near Viljoenskroon. The passengers were reportedly returning to Sasolburg from a church service in Kroonstad when their vehicle overturned.

Just days before that, eight people, including five early childhood development practitioners, died in a collision on the N3 near Harrismith.

Towa again appealed to motorists to remain vigilant on the roads, especially during rainy and low-visibility conditions

The SA Weather Service forecast a 63% chance of rain on Tuesday in Bloemfontein, with showers expected in the morning and cloudy conditions throughout the day.

Arrive Alive has shared the following safety tips:

• allow extra travel time;
• adjust speed to match road and weather conditions, maintaining a safe following distance;
• keep headlights on, especially when natural light is low;
• brake earlier and more gently; and
• avoid driving through standing water.

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OFM News/Kekeletso Mosebetsi cvs