Tyre burst causes taxi to fly past street barriers into Kalkespruit
A taxi that was on its way to town was struck by misfortune, when its tyre burst as it was traveling on the freeway, that caused it to lose control and fly passed the street barriers and into a ditch in Kalkespruit.
On Wednesday, February 5, passengers were making their way from Kwa-Guqa Extensions to town, when the taxi all of a sudden skidded off the road, hit the street barriers and rolled into a ditch at Ackerville in Matthews Phosa Drive. The passengers in the taxi were all injured and one was left dead.
“The driver was travelling at a high speed, although I am not sure of the kilometres, but the taxi was going fast,” said Daniel Phiri. Phiri said that he sustained injuries to his head, but he is fine now, except that he lost a relative who was travelling with him to town on that day, Mando Phiri was his sister’s child. Another passenger on the taxi, Nmtombi Ndaba said that although she was given treatment for the injuries, she had sustained, there is still pain and it seems to be getting worse by the day. “I went to the doctor twice since the accident and I keep taking pain killers to numb the pain,” said Ndaba. She injured her leg and shoulder in the crash.
Bongane Mthombeni said, “It happened so fast. We were on the freeway and the next thing I saw was the taxi rolling off the road. I was in the front passenger seat and my life flashed in front of my eyes. I hit my head as the taxi rolled into the ditch, but I am fine and recovering well from that traumatic experience.” All the passengers in the taxi, including the driver sustained injuries due to the roll and impact that the taxi hit the ground with.
The driver, Sphoro Mothlanthe (23) did not want to comment with to what had happened as he was driving that caused the taxi to overturn.
*Mando Phiri will be laid to rest on Saturday, February 15 and the church service will leave home at 10:00 for the cemetery. Phiri will be buried at Kromdraai Cemetery.
