Durban - Three people have been seriously injured in two separate road accidents in Durban and Pretoria, paramedics said on Sunday.
Two people were seriously injured when three vehicles crashed on the M1 near the Klaarwater off-ramp in Chatsworth, Durban late on Saturday afternoon, Rescue Care spokesman Garrith Jamieson said.
Just after 4pm, Rescue Care paramedics responded to the call to find the road "blocked by the accident". Paramedics found that a truck and an SUV had collided head-on and then a car crashed "into the scene".
Two occupants of the SUV suffered serious injuries and were trapped in the wreckage. Advanced life support paramedics worked to stabilise them while the Durban fire department used the jaws-of-life and other hydraulic equipment to free them from the wreckage.
Once freed, both men were transported to nearby hospitals for the further care that they required. The truck driver escaped injury. At this stage the events leading up to the crash were unknown, Jamieson said.
September 24 - Two people were seriously injured when three vehicles crashed on the M1 near the Klaarwater off-ramp in Chatsworth, Durban late on Saturday afternoon. Photo: Rescue Care
In another crash a few hours later, a 51-year-old man was critically injured when his bakkie smashed into the centre median barrier on the N4 eastbound before the N1 split in Hatfield, Pretoria, ER24 spokesman Russel Meiring said.
ER24 paramedics arrived on the scene minutes before 10pm to find the bakkie smashed against the barrier. The driver was found on the ground about 30 metres away from the bakkie.
September 24 - A 51-year-old man was critically injured when his bakkie crashed into the centre median barrier on the N4 eastbound before the N1 split in Hatfield, Pretoria. Photo: ER24
"Paramedics assessed the man and found that he had sustained numerous injuries and was in a critical condition. The man was treated for his injuries and provided with advanced life support interventions. The patient was thereafter transported to Mediclinic Muelmed for urgent treatment," Meiring said.