Stolen car smashes into bus full of patients
Driver of a stolen car crashes into EMS bus transporting 22 patients.
THE driver of a stolen vehicle survived a head-on collision with an ambulance and escaped on foot from the scene, leaving a trail of blood and torn clothing.
Travelling along the R34 near Mevamhlophe at 4am yesterday (Wednesday), KZN EMS paramedics transporting 22 patients from Nkandla and KwaMagwaza to Ngwelezana Hospital for follow-up specialist appointments were lucky to escape a potentially fatal accident.
According to KZN EMS Media Liaison Officer Robert McKenzie, once the paramedics had stabilised the patients and contacted the police it was discovered that the vehicle had been stolen in Empangeni 30 minutes prior to the collision.
SAPS K9 Unit responded to the scene, following blood spoor and discarded clothing but traces of the runaway driver were lost in the reserve.
Fortunately, none of the patients sustained major injuries but were transported to Ngwelezana Hospital for further observation.
‘All was going well, when suddenly a car travelling in the opposite direction veered across the lane and smashed right into the bus,’ said McKenzie.
‘Paramedics recovered from the shock and attended to the patients before checking on the other driver, only to find that he had absconded from the scene,’ he said.
A case has been opened and Empangeni SAPS are investigating the exact cause of the incident and are in search of the driver.
