Tow truck drivers are making it impossible for paramedics and other emergency services to perform their duties, Beeld reported on Tuesday.
“I was at a community meeting last week where the fire brigade pertinently stated that towtrucks are clogging accident scenes. At some point it's going to cost someone their life,” said Xander Loubser, industry manager of Best Care ambulance services.
He and his team were at an accident scene over the weekend where a car had left the Mabopane highway and crashed into a ditch.
“My ambulance had to stop quite a distance from the scene because towtruck drivers had blocked access,” Loubser said.
A few minutes after Best Care left the scene, they were called back, because a second car had crashed into the ditch after the driver collided with one of Accident Assist's tow trucks.
FOUL PLAY?
Accident Assist spokesman Vincent Tierney said their vehicle's orange roof lights were on and cones had been placed on the road to cordon off the scene.
Frikkie Gouws, Life Med marketing manager, alleged that private ambulance services paid towtrucks to barricade accident scenes until their ambulances arrived. -Sapa