Busy weekend for emergency services

THE spate of accidents on the weekend, at the beginning of the school holidays, does not bode well for the province’s ongoing road safety campaign.

The wet weather did not deter motorists from reckless driving and speeding according to residents who travelled to Durban on Friday.

One person was killed and three critically injured in an accident near the bottom of the Melmoth Pass on Friday at about 9.30am.

Paramedics battled to save the man’s life, and he died of his injuries on the scene.

Besides the three critical patients, 11 other passengers were transferred to the eShowe District Hospital and Ngwelezana Hospital by ambulance.

It is reported that the Gauteng registered minibus was travelling on the R34/R66 towards Melmoth, when a five-ton truck coming down then lost control, forcing the minibus driver to take evasive action.

The vehicle veered into the cutting and overturned.

Also on Friday morning, a second minibus was involved in an unrelated accident north of the Mfuli River between Melmoth and Ulundi.

The driver was travelling towards Melmoth and had to swerve to avoid a heavy vehicle standing in the only lane available.

The driver swerved left and the minibus fell onto its side. No one was injured.

On the same road at around 3pm, a third minibus left the road near Ulundi, but the driver managed to keep the vehicle on its wheels as it ploughed into the cane fields. No one was injured in this accident either.

Two people died on Saturday morning when a truck and a car collided on the N2 just before the Empangeni turn-off. One of the passengers, a matric pupil from John Ross College, was taken to hospital and according to the schools principal, Janine King, ‘he has already been discharged and is recovering at home’.

The other two passengers died from the injuries they sustained in the accident. The names of the victims have not been released.

On Saturday evening, a woman died after a three-car pile-up on the N2, just before the Mtunzini Toll Plaza. Twelve people needed treatment. The cause of the accidents is being investigated by the police.

Unfinished road repairs cause tyre damage

Contractors fixing pot holes had left sections of the road repairs unfilled between the Mtonjaneni Lodge and Ulundi, at the beginning of the school holidays

These potholes, some as deep as 10cm, punctured the tyres of at least 10 vehicles, including an ambulance.

Besides the road surface being dangerous, there were no warning signs of roadworks.

The situation was made worse by the inclement weather and heavy mist in the area.

Attempts to contact the RTI Regional Manager, ET Zulu and the spokesperson, Zinhle Mngomezulu on Friday afternoon to enquire why these road repairs were left unattended at the beginning of the school holiday period proved fruitless.

Irate motorists complained of the inconvenience and the expense incurred due to what they called an ‘unacceptable’ situation.