Four tragic deaths on Dannhauser road
After the fourth fatality between Dannhauser and Hattingspruit in less than a week, residents began to express concern that the route could well become one of the most treacherous yet.
The month of March has been marked with tragedy.
A fatal collision involving three vehicles occurred on the R621 near Dannhauser on March 1.
According to reports, ER24 Newcastle and EMRS paramedics arrived at the scene to find the driver of one of the vehicles ‘heavily entrapped’. Unfortunately, he had already succumbed to his injuries.
According to sister publication, the Northern Natal Courier, the driver of the blue vehicle allegedly lost control and collided with a white VW Polo before crashing into the barrier. The Polo spun around and collided with a police vehicle driven by Dannhauser Police Station Commissioner, Major BV Ntanda. He managed to escape the mangled mess unharmed.
“A female passenger from the same vehicle sustained serious injuries and was transported to Mediclinic Newcastle for further care,” said ER24 Newcastle paramedic, Jan-Henk Van Vuuren.
On March 3, the Courier reported a three-year-old child had passed away following the collision.
While words could never fill the void, we would like to extend our sincere condolences to the families of the victims.
A treacherous trap
Last week, it was reported a woman passed away following a head-on collision on the R621 near Dannhauser on February 24.
On assessment, emergency services discovered a critically injured man and woman in a smaller vehicle.
Paramedics carefully removed the man from the vehicle; however the woman was trapped in the wreckage. Rescue services used the Jaws of Life to free the trapped woman in a 30-minute operation.
Once freed, paramedics noted her vital signs were poor. In a desperate attempt to save the woman’s life, CPR and advanced life support were administered. Unfortunately, she did not respond and was declared dead on scene.
On February 25, the horror crash had claimed its second victim.
The man was allegedly transported to Dundee Hospital before being transported to Greys Hospital in Pietermaritzburg.
After the fourth fatality between Dannhauser and Hattingspruit in less than a week, residents began to express concern that the route could well become one of the most treacherous yet.
“I’ve lived near Dannhauser for 36 years and travel on the R621 to work and back every day,” claimed a resident. “I’ve seen many a motorist perish on this stretch of road, some of them friends.”
The resident was allegedly almost involved in a collision a few weeks ago, prompting her to pull off to the side of the road in an effort to calm her nerves.
“I phoned my husband; I was in shock!” she exclaimed. “I cannot fathom such a blatant disregard for the rules of the road.”
Blaming a lack of patience for the apparent spike in collisions, the resident hoped motorists would err on the side of caution rather than pushing the boundaries.
“Overtaking on a blind rise, speeding or skipping a stop sign is just downright irresponsible. The onus is on us as motorists to make roads safer – nobody else will,” she concluded.
