Miracles as chaos erupts on highways
Chaos - Four accidents, 117 cars, 30 injured, two dead.
The only word that can be used to describe the N4 and N12 at the beginning of this week is, chaotic.
Two people died and scores of others were treated after accidents on Monday, June 29 on the highways that wraps around eMalahleni.
In the mist blanket 117 cars were involved in four separate accidents.
Hospitals in the area were on high alert and 30 people were injured, two seriously. On Tuesday, June 30 they were still in critical conditions.
ER24 spokesperson, Mr Russel Meiring said two people died near Ogies.
They have not yet been identified. They were both truck drivers.
Paramedics, along with other services attended multiple accident scenes spread across the highways.
The first accident happened close to 06:00 on the N4 just before the Highveld Steel off ramp when 12 vehicles collided.
Paramedics and police were then called to the second scene about 3km before the Middelburg tollgate on the N4. Here 52 cars were involved in three different accidents in a stretch of not more than 800m.
Word then came through of a third accident scene. Again it was on the N12 next to the Phola off ramp. A total of 28 trucks and cars were involved in a pile up here. It was on this scene that the two truck drivers died.
The fourth accident scene was also on the N12 at the S-bends. A total of 25 trucks and cars were involved in this pile-up.
Mr Albert Holtzhausen, from Witbank Community, who was first on the second accident scene painted a picture of utter disarray.
“I left the Ogies scene and was still wondering how on earth a man survives after a truck ran over his car. He was trapped inside his car for more than two hours,” Holtzhausen said.
He said there was no visibility on the N4 near the toll plaza and at a stage he had to rely on his hearing.
“I heard cars crash into one another, but the most haunting sound was that of the car that rolled,” he said.
Luckily the driver and passenger in the car, which rolled, were not seriously injured.
Witbank 911 was also quick on the accident scenes lending a helping hand.
“When we received the call we immediately formed a plan of action. Everyone from Witbank 911 knew what to do on the scene. The team helped where needed,” said Mr Michael Visagie Director of operations for Witbank 911,
Mr Dino Padayachee spokesperson for Langamed Emergency Management was very concerned about the amount of accidents that happened. This led to less manpower and also insufficient equipment on the N4 toll plaza scene.
“We had to remove a man from his vehicle using ordinary carjacks to push the dashboard forward. The other equipment was used on the other three scenes. This is a serious point that needs to be addressed,” Padayachee said.
“There are rumours that emergency personnel from Middelburg’s side were held up at the toll gate because they were asked to pay toll fees,” Padayachee said.
“It happened so fast,” Turner said as he tried to console his children.
He said they slept over in Dullstroom, managed to get a rental car and is now enjoying the holiday they were all looking forward to.
Ms Solange Soares-Nicholson, Communications Manager TRAC, that is responsible for the toll gate, said when emergency vehicles has to pass through the toll gate they have to phone in advance in order for personnel to open the emergency gate. On Monday there were two unmarked emergency vehicles that did not follow protocol.
“It was not clear what kind of emergency vehicle that was. But as soon as personnel received word that they were indeed responding to the accident, the emergency gate was opened,” Soares-Nicholson said.
“I could not see anything and heard cars in the distance bumping into one another. It was unreal,” she said.
All the victims of the mist accident had the same story to tell. Once you are in the mist, you are helpless.
This accident, the second of this season renowned for its mist created carnage and mayhem. This is not the first and it is definitely not going to be the last mist accident on the highways running thought eMalahleni. Therefore motorists are urged to take care when they travel on these highways of death.
Other updates on this story:
Motorists warned not to travel on the N12 highway
(Video & Gallery) Chaos on N4 Highway
Two die in mist accident
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