18 injured in week’s accidents

EIGHTEEN people were injured in three separate accidents in the past week.

Two people were seriously injured and three others had minor to moderate injuries after a bakkie and a car collided on Dinkleman Road in New Germany on Saturday afternoon.

According to Werner Vermaak, spokesman for ER24, paramedics found the driver of the car  trapped, with his passenger seated up against the Armco barrier and covered in blood. The three occupants of the bakkie were lying in the median.

“The driver had a suspected broken leg and possible spinal injuries. Advanced Life Support intervention was performed while the fire department used the jaws-of-life to help free the man from the wreckage,” said Vermaak.

The passenger of the car had a head injury and several lacerations while the three people from the bakkie only received minor to moderated injuries. They were all transported to various hospitals.

In another accident eleven people were injured after the taxi they were travelling in veered off the road and sped down an embankment near Richmond Road in Pinetown last Wednesday morning.

According to Christo Venter, media spokesman for ER24, the paramedics and other emergency personnel found the vehicle about 25m down the embankment, where it had come to a standstill.

“Only one of the passengers suffered moderate injuries while the remaining 10 occupants suffered only minor injuries, despite the vehicle overturning. Complete road closure was initiated to facilitate the safe removal of all the passengers to hospitals in the area for further medical attention,” said Venter.

He added that the cause of the accident is currently not known and it is being investigated by the SAPS.

According to Santi Snyman, spokesman for Netcare 911, two pedestrians were found in a serious condition after they were knocked over by a minibus on Richmond Road in Pinetown last Tuesday evening.

“Netcare 911 paramedics found the two pedestrians lying next to the roadway and both of them were treated on scene before they were transported to a hospital. Exact detail to the cause of the accident and preceding events will remain the subject of a police investigation,” said Snyman.