Emergency personnel responded in the early hours and found that the light motor vehicle had collided with a heavy motor vehicle, which caught fire after the crash. Free State Road Incident Management Systems chairperson Sipho Towa said one occupant of the light motor vehicle was declared dead at the scene.

A passenger in the light motor vehicle and the truck driver sustained moderate injuries and were taken for medical treatment. The road is being cleared while accident investigation and recovery operations continue.

A light motor vehicle crashed with a truck on the R59 in Free State. Photo supplied

 One lane remains open, and motorists have been urged to use alternative routes where possible and follow instructions from officials at the scene.

The crash comes amid concern over road fatalities in the Free State, particularly incidents involving heavy vehicles and buses. Earlier this month, deputy minister of transport Mkhuleko Hlengwa visited the province and held high-level meetings in Bloemfontein following a series of deadly crashes, including the N1 bus tragedy between Trompsburg and Edenburg on 30 July.

Light motor vehicle crashed with truck on the R59 in Free State. Photo supplied

National figures show South Africa recorded 5,620 road deaths between 1 January and 26 July, compared with 6,130 during the same period last year. This represents an 8% reduction nationally, but remains short of the country’s 10% reduction target. The Free State, however, recorded a significant increase.

Hlengwa said the province recorded 407 fatalities during the period, compared with 351 in 2025. This was an increase of 56 deaths, or 16%. The provincial target was 316 fatalities, leaving the Free State 91 deaths above target. He stressed that the figures represented lives lost rather than merely performance indicators.

“Road crashes therefore impose a cost that goes beyond the crash scene. They affect families, communities, the health system, the economy and the broader development of our country. 

“It is precisely because of this human and developmental cost that road safety must be regarded as more than a transport issue.”

The province is also dealing with the aftermath of the N1 bus crash near Trompsburg. Earlier this month, the remains of Zimbabwean nationals who died in the crash were repatriated after relatives were taken to a government mortuary to identify the deceased.

Free State Premier MaQueen Letsoha-Mathae and health MEC Monyatso Mahlatsi welcomed Zimbabwe’s Consul-General Eria Phiri at Free State House in Bloemfontein before the identification process. Authorities continue to urge motorists to exercise caution on major routes as clean-up and recovery work proceeds on the R59.

OFM News/Kekeletso Mosebetsi sm

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