DURBAN: Three people died and 17 were left injured, in two separate accidents in and around Mandeni on Sunday.
Both accidents were attended to by IPSS Medical Rescue.
IPSS spokesperson Paul Herbst said two people were killed in a head-on collision this morning, on the N2 near Mandeni.
He said, upon arrival, paramedics found that a light motor vehicle had collided head-on with a truck.
“It is alleged that the car had been travelling in a Southern direction, when the vehicle lost control and crossed the centre median, before colliding with a truck, which was travelling Northbound,” he said.
Herbst said the high-impact of the collision claimed the lives of both occupants of the car, while the truck driver sustained minor injuries. The occupants of the vehicle were cut from the wreckage by Rural Metro Fire and Rescue.
“Please reduce your speed in wet weather,” he appealed to motorists.
Hours later, another head-on collision left one dead and 16 injured.
“IPSS paramedics established that a minibus taxi and bakkie had collided head-on. A total of 16 persons sustained various injuries, while one person from the taxi succumbed to their injuries,” said Herbst.
He said patients were stabilised on scene before being transported to hospital.
On Saturday, ER24 spokesperson Russell Meiring said 15 people were left injured, when a taxi and bakkie collided on Town Bush Road, in Pietermaritzburg, at about 7am.
Meiring said ER24 paramedics and other services arrived to find the two vehicles in the middle of the road. The occupants had already climbed out of the taxi and bakkie.
“Medics assessed the patients and found that fifteen people had sustained minor injuries. Fortunately, no serious injuries or fatalities were found. The patients were treated and, thereafter, transported to various hospitals in the area for further care,” he said.
Emer-G-Med attended to a single vehicle accident on Saturday. Spokesperson Kyle van Reenen said a male driver was seriously injured, after he lost control of his vehicle on the M7, near Hans Dettman Highway.
He said Emer-G-Med paramedics arrived on the scene to find a Nissan Navara had careened across the centre median, overturning, and coming to a rest facing oncoming traffic.
“The driver was ejected from the vehicle during the crash and was found lying in the roadway, having suffered serious injuries,” said Van Reenen.
Van Reenen said advanced life support intervention was needed to stabilise the man, before he was taken by ambulance to a nearby hospital for further care.
“A passenger, a male of about forty years of age, suffered moderate injuries, and was treated and transported by a private ambulance service to hospital,” he said.
Another accident on Saturday was attended to by Netcare 911, at about 9am, on Inanda Road in Waterfall, Durban West Region.
Netcare 911 spokesperson Shawn Herbst said reports indicate that a bakkie and a car were involved in a head-on collision.
“Two people sustained critical injuries and were treated on scene by emergency care practitioners. Two other occupants of the vehicle had, sadly, been declared deceased,” said Herbst.
He said due to the nature of one of the patient’s injuries, a Netcare 911 helicopter was activated to airlift the seriously injured patient to hospital.
On Friday afternoon, Netcare 911 responded to a collision on the M27 in Waterloo, North of Durban.
“Reports indicate that a minibus taxi and a light motor vehicle were involved in a collision.
“About nineteen occupants, from both the taxi and car, had sustained minor to moderate injuries. The patients were treated on the scene and, once stabilised, were transported to various hospitals for further care,” said Herbst.
THE MERCURY