Johannesburg - Five people including two
children were killed on Monday night in a taxi crash on the R24 East in Isando,
Ekurhuleni.
According
to Emer-G-Med spokesman Maxwell Cohen paramedics arrived to find that a taxi
had collided with a concrete barrier in the centre median of the highway. The
taxi was found to be torn into pieces with the debris from the vehicle strewn
all over the roadway.
“The two
halves of the taxi were found approximately thirty metres apart, with debris
across the highway. Multiple passengers had been ejected from the vehicle,” he
said.
ER24 who
also attended to the scene confirmed that two women, a man and two children
sustained fatal injuries succumbing to their wounds. They were declared dead on
the scene.
Spokesperson
for the Ekhureleni Metro Police Department Kobedi Mokheseng said a
three-year-old was among the dead. “There were six occupants in the vehicle,
five passengers and the driver. The driver sustained critical injuries and was
rushed to hospital. Unfortunately the five people being transported died.
“At this
stage it’s unclear whether it was a long distance minibus, when and where it
was travelling from,” he said. Mokheseng added that the freeway had been closed
due to the magnitude of the accident and that the Road Traffic Management
Corporation were investigating further.
While at
the scene, paramedics witnessed a secondary collision in which a vehicle lost
control and collided with the barrier but no one sustained injuries.
Meanwhile
several roads in Germiston and Boksburg were blocked due to heavy rain and
flash flooding on Monday night. Mokheseng said several pre-cast walls fell
down and were washed into the roads in Primrose, Delmore Park and Fishers
Hill.
“Some of
these roads had to be closed to traffic as they were completely flooded, while
others were closed due to the debris and rocks in the road.
He said
there were delays on Main Reef Road in Germiston this morning as rocks and
debris were being cleared from the flash flooding. “Many of our traffic
lights were badly affected due to the heavy rain but we are dealing with it,”
Mokheseng said.
During
heavy storms or flash flooding Mokheseng said people should refrain from
proceeding with their trip until it passes. “If you can see it’s going to be a
heavy storm, rather go to a secure location like a filling station, have a cup
of coffee and wait for it to subside.
“Drivers
and motorists must stay calm on the roads, if you see a storm approaching don’t
exceed the speed limit to try and beat the storm,” he advised.
“Turn your
headlights on, keep a safe following distance and abide by the rules of the
road,” Mokheseng added.