Four police officers died in a three-car collision on Tuesday on the N12 just before the Snake Road off-ramp, police said.

Constable Joshua Dladla said the four, from Etwatwa police station, were travelling in a state vehicle towards Benoni around 1.30pm.

"It is not clear what caused the accident. Three cars — the police's Citi-Golf, a Toyota Tazz and a Ford bakkie — were involved."

Dladla said the officers died on the scene, and four occupants of the other cars were taken to a nearby hospital in critical condition.

The names of the four officers — two men and two women — would be released once their families had been informed.

Police were investigating the cause of the accident.

Sapa