The fatal crash involving a vehicle of Interstate Bus Lines and a truck on 10 November occurred in the wake of remembering road accident victims from Botshabelo who had also died on the N8 five years ago.
In the recent incident, passengers from Thaba Nchu were the victims.
The number of the deceased increased from eight to nine after conclusive evidence gathered during an investigation into the death of a woman who had been readmitted to hospital after having been discharged when admitted with injuries following the accident.
Innitially she had been among the survivors of the horrific crash.
In the accident on 3 July 2017, eight passengers from Botshabelo died.
It happened when the 114-seater bus rear-ended a stationary truck at about 06:00 near the Mandela View settlement, which is 20 km outside Bloemfontein.
The commuters on board had been from Section W.
The crash left 51 people with severe injuries, while 32 escaped the incident unharmed.
Human error has been cited as the cause of the recent collision between the truck and the bus at 06:30 on the fateful day.
According to preliminary findings, the accident occurred after the truck driver had attempted to overtake another vehicle when it was unsafe to do so.
Hillary Mophethe, spokesperson for the provincial Department of Police, Roads and Transport, said the truck driver had tried to avoid a head-on collision and, in doing so, swerved towards the left lane. The truck thereby crashed into the front of the bus, on the right-hand side.
According to the bus company, 71 commuters had boarded the 80-seater bus travelling from Zone 5 in Thaba Nchu to Bloemfontein.
