Five people have been injured after two cars collided on the R44 in Blackheath near Stellenbosch. Paramedics that were on the scene were trying to determine how the accident could have happened, but were slightly stumped as there is quite a large middle island between the two lanes of the carriage way.
It seems like the two cars were travelling in opposite directions when the accident occurred, and one car was badly damaged in the front and side, while the other only had frontal damage.
When paramedics arrived, all of the patients were outside of the vehicles, and bystanders quickly alerted them to a man who was in a serious condition. The bystanders said that the man was still stuck in the vehicle when they had witnessed the accident and pulled over. They managed to pull him out of the crumpled wreck, much to the surprise of the Fire and Rescue workers as they thought for sure they would have needed to use the Jaws of Life to cut away at the mangled metal.
The man was treated on scene for serious chest injuries, and his condition seemed to be deteriorating. The treating Advanced Life Support paramedic then decided that the patient would fit into flight criteria, and the ER24 Discovery Medicopter was summonsed. The man was airlifted from scene and was in hospital within minutes for more advance medical treatment.
The other four patients, three men and a woman, had sustained multiple injures and were treated an transported to hospital by road ambulance.
The cause of the accident is unknown, but the relevant authorities were on scene to investigate.
Vanessa Jackson
ER24