First mist causes havoc
On Friday, April 22 at approximately 07:30 the thick blanket of mist descended on the highway leaving motorist with blinded vision
The first mist that covered most of eMalahleni caused havoc on the highways surrounding eMalahleni as many vehicles were involved in the multiple accidents.
On Friday, April 22 at approximately 07:30 the thick blanket of mist descended on the highway leaving motorist with blinded vision.
The chaos in the mist of Friday morning, April 22. This was on the N12 highway just outside eMalahleni. (Photos provided by Mr Sven Be-Mare.)
The accidents started in eMalahleni by the S-bends and continued all the way to Ogies.
Shortly after the first few accidents were reported the N4 and N12 highway were closed until 09:30.
At the Witbank Accident office 90 vehicles ranging from sedans to articulated trucks and a Private ambulance were involved in a multiple pile-up.
At least nine different scenes were observed in a stretch of 10 kilometres on the N12 highway.
Many vehicles and trucks were involved in the multiple accidents on the N12 highway. (Photos provided by Mr Sven Be-Mare.)
Mr Sven Be-Mare was also stuck in the mist; he managed to stop his vehicle centimetres before colliding into a stationery truck on the highway.
Be-Mare climbed out of his vehicle and started walking through the mist to see where he can help.
“I managed to get to two ladies; one was complaining that she could not feel her legs and the other one hurt her ankle, so I managed to help them until the ambulance arrived,” said Be-Mare.
Be-Mare described being in the mist was like being in a sci-fi movie as he walked through it.
In the thick mist one of the trucks that were involved in the mist accident on Friday morning, April 22. (Photos provided by Mr Sven Be-Mare.)
“It was so horrible, a really strange experience and the further you walked in the mist the more you saw,” said Be-Mare.
Be-Mare was so happy that he never collided into the back of the stationery truck.
“Debris and all different car parts lay all over the road,” said Be-Mare.
Other accidents were reported on the Kleinkopjie Road and the road towards Rietspruit in Ga-Nala.
There were no fatalities however, five people sustained serious injuries and 12 people had slight injuries.
They were all transported to various hospitals in eMalahleni for further treatment.
Eventually once the mist cleared up then the hard work began to remove all 90 vehicles off the roads and to clear the remaining debris.
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