Tenth horror taxi crash victim dies
Johannesburg – A 10th person has died in hospital following a traffic accident in which nine people were killed on Sunday on the N1 South near the Buccleuch Interchange in Midrand on Sunday afternoon.
Four people were injured and transported to a hospital.
ER24 paramedics arrived at the scene at about, along with many other services, including the fire department, ER24 spokesman Ross Campbell said.
“The roof of the taxi had been ripped off on impact and several bodies were found on the highway. Two bodies were also found inside the wreck. A 14-year-old girl seems to have been the youngest among the deceased. It is believed that two adults and a four-year-old child survived the incident – they had suffered serious to critical injuries and were transported to hospital by other services,” Campbell said.
JMPD spokesperson Wayne Minnaar said the taxi driver is believed to have lost control of his vehicle before it hit into the concrete barricade.
“There’s definitely a factor of high speed here because of the impact. The taxi collided with the concrete barricade. One of the passengers was ejected from the taxi and was flung on to the northern side of the N1 freeway,” said Minnaar.
The Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) confirmed that 10 people have died. Spokesperson Simon Zwane also said it was thought that the minibus had crashed into the concrete centre barrier.
“In the process, the spare wheel of the vehicle was released and collided with a VW Polo that was travelling on the same road. Nine people died on the scene while one died on the way to hospital,” he said.
He added that the accident is a major setback, as traffic fatalities were declining in Gauteng and in South Africa in general, over the past few months.
“The RTMC sends heartfelt condolences to the families, relatives and friends of the deceased and wishes the injured a speedy recovery. We again reiterated our message that motorists should take responsibility and remain alert while on the roads at all times.”
Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula was also at the scene and expressed condolences to those who lost their loved ones. He said the RTMC crash investigation unit would investigate the cause of the accident.
