Poor road conditions have been blamed for a serious crash that left five people injured on the R34 near Utrecht on Tuesday night (October 22).

Craig Botha of KwaZulu Private Ambulance Services said the accident once again highlights the devastating impact of deteriorating road infrastructure across northern KwaZulu-Natal.

“The incident occurred at approximately 21:00 on Tuesday, when the driver of the vehicle allegedly swerved to avoid a pothole causing the vehicle to spin out of control,” said Botha.

Paramedics responded to the scene, which he described as ‘one of chaos and destruction.’

Three occupants sustained serious, life-threatening injuries, including suspected spinal trauma and multiple fractures, which were injuries that required immediate advanced life support intervention.

Two others were fortunate to sustain minor injuries.

The emergency response was initiated through an innovative technological solution when a member of the South African Police Service came across the crash scene and immediately activated the KZPA App.

The application instantly transmitted precise GPS coordinates of the collision site to emergency medical dispatchers, enabling a swift and coordinated response despite the remote location.

Botha said KZPA received the activation at 20:27, but faced major challenges deploying resources across the vast rural area, with the nearest available ambulance stationed 60 kilometres from the crash site.

“Advanced Life Support paramedics arrived on scene at 21:00, where they established a mobile trauma unit and began treating the critically injured patients. Paramedics worked methodically through the darkness, performing advanced medical interventions, including spinal immobilisation protocols for the seriously injured occupants,” he explained.

He added that SAPS and the local Fire Department members worked alongside ambulance crews, securing the scene and assisting with patient care.

“The collaborative emergency response underscored the critical importance of multi-agency cooperation in rural crash scenarios.”

All patients received comprehensive pre-hospital emergency care before being transported to the hospital for further medical treatment.

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