Quinton Mtyala
THREE suspected burglars were killed and four others injured on Wednesday after three vehicles collided on the M3 near the Firgrove turn-off in Constantiaberg.
Traffic on the M3 towards the Cape Town city centre had to be diverted, and was snarled up in the opposite direction as curious motorists slowed down.
ER24 paramedics said four men lay trapped in a vehicle which had come to a standstill on the side of the road.
“Unfortunately, three man had already succumbed to their multiple, fatal injuries. Nothing could be done for them and they were declared dead on the scene. The fourth man, also trapped, was found to have sustained numerous injuries, leaving him in a critical condition,” said ER24 spokesman Russel Meiring.
The jaws of life had to be use to free the fourth man before he could be attended to by paramedics.
Meiring added: “Three other patients were found on scene, including a 5-year-old boy. All these patients were found to have sustained minor to moderate injuries”.
Those injured were transported to various hospitals in the vicinity.
“It is believed that the driver of one vehicle apparently lost control, causing his vehicle to roll into the oncoming traffic and collide with the other vehicles,” said Meiring.
The police’s Andre Traut said the circumstances around the accident was being investigated.
“Shortly after four male suspects perpetrated a burglary in Diep River they were spotted and pursued by personnel of a private security company, which led to a high speed car chase. On the M3 the suspects drove their Toyota Corolla on the wrong side of the road and collided with two oncoming vehicles,” said Traut.
He said the occupants of the other two vehicles, a mother and a child in the one vehicle and a male person in the other vehicle were admitted to hospital with minor injuries.
“Stolen house hold items were recovered in the suspects'’ vehicle,” said Traut.