GUANGZHOU, Nov. 11 -- Two middle school students were killed and three injured Tuesday in a car crash in south China's Guangdong Province.

At 12:23 p.m., a tractor's brakes failed at an intersection in Lianzhou City, causing the driver to loose control.

Two died at the scene, another was pronounced dead while in transit to the hospital and five were injured, including the three students, according to the city government.

"I saw [the incident], the green light for pedestrians was on and people were crossing the street, but the tractor, which appeared to be overweight, failed to stop," said Zhou Xianya, a motorcycle shop owner.

Zhou said he saw the students in uniform hit by the oncoming vehicle.

The road is on a slope and is a hotspot for accidents, according to Zhou.

"I've witnessed more than 10 accidents here and there are a primary school and a middle school nearby," he explained.

Further investigation is under way.