N1 Kroonvaal
[National 23 – 25 December 2011]
At least 16 people have been killed, more than 30 are still in a serious condition in hospital and many others have sustained injuries after almost 200 road accidents over the Christmas weekend. These are accidents attended to on a national basis that came through to ER24 and does not include fatalities or accident numbers attended to by the numerous other ambulance services across the country.
Friday morning started off with 2 men being killed in an accident in Underberg, where a taxi and a hatchback collided head on. 3 others, including the driver of the taxi were left with various injuries.
A bakkie travelling on the N1 near the Kroonvaal Toll Plaza rolled off the highway and overturned landing on its roof next to the road. One of the occupants died at the scene due to extensive injuries, and the bakkie’s passenger sustained serious injuries. At approximately 16:00, and close to the location of the first accident, a taxi driver lost control and rolled the taxi leaving 13 people with various injuries. The taxi landed in the middle of the road and traffic was backed up for approximately 5 kilometers in both directions while emergency services were at the scene.
4 of taxi accidents on Friday during the day in Pietermaritzburg left over 30 people injured, while a bakkie transporting 3 men rolled on the R33. One of the passengers was ejected, and he died at the scene. The driver and second passenger sustained serious injuries and were taken to hospital.
Two accidents early on Saturday morning left 1 dead and 4 others with serious or critical injuries. A motorbike crashed into a lamp post and a wall in Bloemfontein where a woman died at the scene and one patient was taken to hospital. In Boksburg, a Citi Golf was split in twoafter colliding with a tree, the entire front of the vehicle up to the windscreen was ripped from the rest of the cars body. 3 people suffered serious injuries in the accident and were taken to hospital.
At around 9am on Saturday morning a head on collision, on the N4 Schoemanskloof Pass near Nelspruit, between a Pajero and a car left a man deceased at the scene, while a child and 3 others were badly hurt. The Pajero actually went off the road and landed on its roof down an embankment. The child died in hospital the next morning.
Heidelburg Road
A side impact collision at the Lion Park Crossing in Randburg left 2 men dead and another 2 with critical injuries. One man was airlifted to Hospital by the ER24 Discovery Medicopter as he needed immediate life saving treatment.
3 accidents on Polokwane on Saturday afternoon left 1 dead and 8 others with various injuries, The fatal collision happened between a car and a truck on the R81 where it is believed the car and truck collided head on.
Krugersdorp
Saturday night shift for the JHB paramedics started off with a horrific accident on the M1 at Jan Smuts where a minibus full of adults and children crashed into the concrete barriers of the highway. A 4 year old and 23 year old were killed in the accident and died on scene. 5 others were treated for critical injuries and another 8 for moderate injuries. Most of the passengers had been ejected from the vehicle after the impact and were found strewn across both lanes of the highway.
A woman and man were killed in 2 accidents in the JHB East area between 19:00 and 21:00 on Saturday evening. A head on collision in Kempton Park claimed the life of a 51 year old woman, while a bakkie that rolled on the R42 saw the 3 male occupants of the vehicle being ejected. One of the passengers died at the scene while the other 2 were treated and taken to hospital.
Cedar R114
At 3am on Christmas morning, 2 young men lost their lives as the bakkie that they were travelling in lost control in Krugersdorp and crashed sideways into a tree. The third occupant suffered critical injuries and was rapidly transported to hospital by ambulance.
Fortunately during the day of the 25th, no fatal accidents were reported as it appeared people were staying indoors. Approximately 30 accidents were attended to during the day across the country by ER24.
The death toll for the Festive Season has been reported as being close to 800 lives that have been claimed in road accidents.
M1 Empire
R42
ER24 urges every motorist to take responsibility on the road and help in the prevention of these deaths; obey the rules of the road, buckle up and do not drink and drive.
Vanessa Jackson, ER24