[KZN 11 May 2012 16:45]
Two accidents on the major KZN highways has left 19 people injured and a man deceased.
The first accident involved a taxi that had rolled on the N3 in Pietermaritzburg, between the Hilton and Cedara road off ramps. According to paramedics on the scene it appears that the taxi rolled approximately 50 meters, up an embankment and then rolling back down onto the road again, landing on its wheels.
Despite the damage to the vehicle, and the suspicion that most of the patients actually were ejected from the vehicle as it rolled, there were six patients that sustained moderate injuries and nine patients that sustained minor injuries only. Paramedics arrived on the scene to find most of the vehicles occupants walking around the scene. The highway was almost completely blocked to traffic with only one lane open. Later, traffic was only allowed to pass through the emergency lane as emergency and rescue vehicles stopped at the scene to assist the injured.
Shortly thereafter, another serious accident was reported. This time on the N2 at the Clare Road Bridge in the direction of Umgeni.
The details regarding how this accident occurred are not clear, but a bakkie rolled on the highway, crashing into the roadside barriers. A truck and a light motor vehicle were also involved in the accident and these two vehicles crashed down the roadside embankment, landing almost 50 meters down.
Paramedics who arrived first on scene found that the driver of the bakkie that had stayed on the road was sadly already deceased. He had suffered extensive injuries and there was nothing further that could be done for him.
There had been another four patients that had suffered moderate injuries who had been occupants of the second bakkie and the truck. Despite the damage to these two vehicle having crashed down the embankment, paramedics were grateful that they were in a stable condition having suffered only moderate injuries.
The four patients were treated according to their injuries on scene before being brought up to where the ambulances were on the road and were then taken to appropriate hospitals in the surrounding area for further assessment and care.
Both accidents will be investigated by the respective authorities that attended the scenes.
Vanessa Jackson, ER24
