Elderly woman hit by truck

AFTER yet another woman was dragged under a truck in Clairwood, residents are up-in-arms about illegal trucking in the residential area.

At about noon on Tuesday, 4 November an elderly woman was hit by a truck and dragged under its wheels as she walked home after doing some shopping. The Clairwood Ratepayers and Residents Association (CRRA) is calling for action from the municipality, as this is not an isolated incident.

“Over the past few years, more than 20 residents were injured or killed by trucks operating illegally in the residential area of Clairwood. The problem is well known to the municipality and yet nothing has been done to remove these perpetrators who are claiming the lives of the residents,” said CRRA honorary secretary, Mervyn Reddy.

Residents have complained that trucks cause damage to infrastructure, including homes and place their lives at risk. In yesterday’s incident, the driver was alerted by a passerby and the woman was alive and responsive when paramedics arrived. She was taken to hospital for further care. According to Mervyn, police removed the disc of the truck that was driven by a 21-year-old man from Swaziland.

“The family of the woman and the community hope she survives this tragic incident. The roads in Clairwood are not designed for trucking or other such related activity and drivers use the pavements to make turns. The CRRA condemns trucking in Clairwood. Numerous correspondences are falling on deaf ears at the municipality – these correspondences indicate the frustration of the community with regards to trucking expanding into the area and making the lives of bona fide residents a ‘living hell’,” he said.