A municipal refuse truck driver (43) has been charged with reckless and negligent driving, driving under the influence of alcohol and driving without a licence after he lost control of the heavy duty vehicle he was driving at the Hibiscus Mall in Margate recently.
Police spokesperson Captain Petros Mpinge said the truck driver appeared in the Port Shepstone Magistrate’s Court and the case was postponed to November 1.
Shaun Herbst of Netcare 911 said that fortunately there were no serious injuries, however two people who were injured were taken to Gamalakhe Community Health Centre. “The waste truck hit a parked vehicle with a man, aged about 25, seated inside. The other patient was a pedestrian in her 30s. The woman was walking in the parking lot area when one of the cars hit by the waste truck knocked her over,” said Herbst.
Alice Brandsma, manager of the Hibiscus Mall said it was an unfortunate incident. “We apologise on behalf of the municipality’s waste and sanitation department for any damage or inconvenience caused to customers,” she said. Ray Nkonyeni Municipality spokesperson, Simon April confirmed that the matter is still being investigated.
“I also wish to indicate that waste removal services will continue to be provided with no or lesser glitches since the accident involved one compactor truck,” he said.
He confirmed that refuse trucks, like all other municipal vehicles, do have trackers.
There have been numerous other incidents which have kept emergency services busy recently.
* A taxi caught alight on the N2 near the Louisiana offramp at about 19:00. Glen Preston of Medevac said emergency services responded, and luckily there were no injuries.
* Maser Security found an abandoned vehicle during a farm watch patrol on a back road to Gcilima. The vehicle had crashed through a farm fence. Nobody was found in or near the locked vehicle, however, there was plenty of empty alcohol bottles scattered around the car.
* On Tuesday, October 4, a bakkie and taxi was involved in a collision on the N2 near Hibberdene. Craig Botha of Kwazulu Private Ambulance Service said paramedics treated 18 patients who had sustained injuries ranging from minor to serious. The patients were transported to hospital.
On the same evening, two vehicles were involved in a head-on collision in Marine Drive, Shelly Beach. Shawn Herbst of Netcare 911 said a man was ejected from a bakkie, and was transported to hospital in a serious condition.
Netcare 911 also attended to an accident involving two vehicles in Woodgrange near Hibberdene. Two men sustained moderate injuries.
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