Cape Town - A 13-year-old boy was the youngest casualty in a weekend of horror road deaths that claimed the lives of at least 12 people in the Western Cape.
Provincial traffic chief Kenny Africa confirmed that 12 people died in five separate incidents over the weekend.
“The driver of a light motor vehicle lost control on the Old Paarl Road (Voortrekker Road) at about 2.50am on Sunday morning," he said. All the occupants, four young men, died in this crash."
Africa said a motorcyclist died after he collided with a light delivery vehicle on the N7 Plattekloof, in the direction of Cape Town.
Three out of eight survived
ER24 spokesperson Russel Meiring said five people were killed and three others injured when an SUV overturned on the N1 about 10 kilometres north of Worcester.
“Shortly after 6.30am, paramedics from ER24 and several other services arrived on the scene where they found the Ford SUV overturned on the side of the road," Meiring said.
"All occupants were still inside the vehicle. Sadly, a child believed to be 13 years old, as well as four adults, were found with fatal injuries. There was nothing paramedics could do for them and were declared dead.”
He said a further three adults were found with minor to serious injuries.
'Lying scattered around the vehicle'
In another incident on Sunday one man was killed and six others injured after a bakkie rolled on the R43 outside Worcester.
“ER24 paramedics, along with Life Healthcare and other services, arrived on the scene to find that a bakkie had rolled road multiple times," Meiring said.
"Several men were found lying scattered around the vehicle. Paramedics assessed the men and found that two had sustained numerous injuries and were in a critical condition, while five others had sustained injuries ranging from minor to serious.”
He said the patients were treated for their injuries, and the critically injured provided with advanced life support interventions, before they were transported to Worcester Provincial Hospital for further care.
“Unfortunately, after a short few minutes in hospital, one of the critically injured patients succumbed to his injuries,” he said.