Cape Town - Less than 24 hours after Transport and Public Works MEC Daylin Mitchell officially launched this year’s festive road safety plan, five people have died and 12 have been injured in two separate vehicle accidents.
On Monday afternoon, Western Cape Government Health’s Emergency Medical Services (EMS) officials responded to the scene of a collision on the N7 between Moorreesburg and Piketberg.
In a report recorded by the Department of Transport and Public Works, two cars were involved in a head-on collision after one of the cars, while attempting to overtake, crashed into an oncoming car travelling in the opposite direction. A third car, a delivery van, then drove into the crash scene, killing the driver and seriously injuring the passenger.
The Western Cape Government Health’s Emergency Medical Services (EMS) confirmed that five patients had died in the accident while three were left seriously injured.
In a separate incident on Tuesday morning, the WCGH’s EMS officials responded to another car accident in the N2 Wilderness. The accident involved a taxi and a van shortly before 7am at the Leentjiesklip turn-off just before the Caltex garage.
WCGH EMS Spokesperson Deanna February said: “WGCH paramedics responded to a call which involved a taxi and a van yesterday morning. Twelve people were involved in the accident, seven men and five women. Fortunately, all patients sustained only minor injuries.”
The accident reports come after yet another busy weekend for emergency officials who responded to a staggering 6 067 incidents in the Western Cape, 155 of which were transport-related, as well as an attack on paramedics in a local community.
In a statement condemning the incident, WCGH detailed the shocking attack on its staff which occurred in Manenberg last week Friday, whereby paramedics were held at gunpoint on their way to the Caltex garage to wait for a police escort.
Lentegeur district manager Shakira Hartley said: “Witnessing how traumatised the officials were after an attack has been tough. Some officials have been away from work for years due to an attack and are attacked again upon return.
“Dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic and gearing up for some tough days is challenging on its own. We now have to contend with the increase of attacks that is demanding and equally exhausting,” Hartley said.