Woman dies despite desperate attempts to save her after N17 pile-up
When Ekurhuleni Disaster and Emergency Management Services' rescue teams arrived on the scene, the grass was still burning and wind blowing smoke across the freeway
A woman died and three other people sustained minor injuries after a 22-car pile-up on the N17 in Springs on Friday afternoon.
According to William Ntladi, Ekurhuleni emergency services spokesman, both the west and east bound carriage ways experienced crashes at the same time because of bad visibility as a result of a grass fire along the freeway.
Ntladi said they received the call at 2.40pm. Selection Park and Kwa-Thema rescue crews promptly responded to the scene to render medical assistance.
“When Ekurhuleni Disaster and Emergency Management Services’ rescue teams arrived on the scene, the grass was still burning and wind blowing smoke across the freeway,” Ntladi said.
Nick Dollman, spokesman for Netcare 911, said there were two major scenes, one on each side of the highway, roughly several hundred meters or so apart.
“Netcare 911 had multiple vehicles on scene and attended to several of the injured, including a 48-year-old female who was in a critical condition and trapped in the wreck of her bakkie.
“Her condition was such that the Netcare 911 helicopter ambulance was dispatched to the scene while she was still trapped in the vehicle. Fire fighters were called upon to use the jaws of life to free the victim,’ Dollman said.
“She was placed on a ventilator and attended to by advanced life support paramedics. Tragically she succumbed to her injuries despite paramedics’ efforts trying to resuscitate her,” he added.
The injured were transported by various ambulances to hospitals for further assessment and care.
Both directions of the freeway were closed to traffic.
