Five people, including children aged one and four, were injured after being hit by a runaway car on the R618 near the town of Hlabisa, in the UMkhanyakude district of KZN, earlier this afternoon.
The pedestrians had been walking near the road when they were reportedly struck by the vehicle, which reportedly veered off the road before strking them.
A woman and her one year-old baby, who had been on her back, sustained critical injuries, while a four year-old girl has sustained serious injuries. Two other women were also critically injured in the crash. The occupants of the car were not injured.
The paramedics treated the patients at the scene before transporting them to hospital for continued medical care.
The police are investigating the cause of the crash.