After the serious accident on the R56 yesterday where 4 people sustained critical injuries, another accident has occurred just 5 kilometers from the first one.
A Milk Tanker truck and double cab bakkie collided head on on the R56 near Richmond forcing the two vehicles off the road. They crashed through the farm gate and landed in the open field. The gate housed a bees nest which was disturbed during the accident. Not only did the patients on scene sustain injuries in the accident, they were also surrounded and stung by the swarm of angry bees. Fortunately, as ER24 paramedics from the Pietermaritzburg branch arrived at the scene, the bees had moved on and the patients could be properly assessed.
It seemed that even though the patients had been stung, they had not sustained significant injury in the accident. The driver and sole occupant of the milk truck was treated for minor injuries as well as the passenger of the bakkie. They were both taken to a nearby hospital for further assessment and care. The driver of the bakkie was uninjured in the accident, but had sustained the most number of bee stings. After paramedics removed the stings and treated the man on scene, he decided he would rather not go to hospital with the ambulance and would go later if he felt it necessary.
Vanessa Jackson
ER24