Culpable homicide case opened after horrific crash
The driver was heading downhill in the left lane of the dual carriageway when he noticed a large puddle of water in the dip in front of him.
The scene where a taxi and a truck collided resulting in eight people dying. Photo: Bianca Pindral.
Mixed reports from the scene of a horrific accident on Friday, 20 January, suggest that police might not be sure about the actual cause of the collision until forensic pathologists and accident reconstruction crews are done with the scene.
Eight people died and another eight were critically injured in the collision between a taxi and a truck on the R24 (Luipaard Street) next to the premises of the Krugersdorp Correctional Services at about 3pm, Krugersdorp News reported.
The body of a man was placed onto the bent taxi door after he was declared dead by paramedics.
After carefully reconstructing the scene, it was discovered that the truck driver was heading towards Magaliesburg with a load of barrels – not gas bottles as was stated in the initial report.
READ MORE: Eight killed in taxi and truck collision
The driver was heading downhill in the left lane of the dual carriageway when he noticed a large puddle of water in the dip in front of him. The driver moved over to the right lane to avoid hitting the puddle of water, then lost control of his vehicle and veered over into oncoming traffic.
While the truck and trailer were positioned diagonally across the oncoming traffic lanes, an approaching taxi drove into the trailer with incredible force. The taxi spun through 180 degrees before coming to a standstill.
The truck crashed into the fence of the Krugersdorp Prison after it jackknifed. Emergency workers, Sector 5 Community Policing Forum (CPF) members, local authorities and the fire department’s search-and-rescue workers were all on the scene after the collision.
Various emergency service personnel worked alongside paramedics to extricate and stabilise patients.
Ambulances took eight patients to nearby hospitals for urgent medical attention while Krugersdorp police and CPF members secured the scene. Because of the time of day, traffic on the R24 was heavy, and Krugersdorp Traffic Police had to divert traffic onto Munsie Avenue.
– Caxton News Service
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