R71 bakkie crash leaves one dead, 12 injured
Some of the occupants were flung out of the vehicle at impact.
LIMPOPO – A 35-year-old man died when a bakkie collided into a roadside barrier along the R71 near Moria between Polokwane and Haenertsburg on Friday, 12 February.
In a statement, ER24 Spokesperson Russel Meiring confirmed that 12 others were injured during the incident. He explained that ER24 paramedics, with the Limpopo EMS, arrived on the scene at around 07:00 to find the bakkie on the side of the road against the barrier.
“One man had sustained fatal injuries and was declared dead on the scene. Several others were found outside of the vehicle and were assessed and treated for injuries ranging from minor to moderate.”
The Department of Transport confirmed the incident and added that bakkie overturned and crashed into the barrier as a a result of a burst tyre.
“One person died and another was critically injured. Four passengers sustained moderate injuries while another six occupants, including the driver, sustained minor injuries,” said Matomi Moremi-Taueatsoala, Spokesperson for the department.
He added that all the injured were transported to the Mankweng hospital for further care.
Meanwhile, another collision on the R36, around 4km outside of Tzaneen resulted in the death of one person.
ER24’s Ineke van Huyssteen. explained that ER24 paramedics arrived at the scene shortly before 11:00, they found one person who had sustained fatal injuries and was declared dead at the scene. “Eight others were found to have sustained injuries ranging from minor to moderate.”
ER24 and Tzaneen EMS treated the patients at the scene before transporting them to hospital for further medical care.
The exact circumstances surrounding the incident were not known but local authorities were on the scene for further investigations.
