Cape Town - Over two dozen people were left suffering from mild to critical injuries, and one person dead in the wake of three vehicle collisions in the province, two of which involved local taxis.
According to the Emergency Medical Services group ER24, at least 35 people were injured, and one was killed in less than five days in the Western Cape in vehicle collisions in Stellenbosch, Klapmuts and Bridgetown.
In the most recent incident on Tuesday, February 7, nine people were injured when a bakkie and two light motor vehicles collided on Polkadraai Road in Stellenbosch.
ER24 spokesperson Russel Meiring said EMS officials arrived on the scene at 7.45 am to find the three vehicles on the road, and several patients were seated along the roadside.
Meiring said medics assessed the patients and found that nine adults had sustained minor to moderate injuries.
He said EMS officials treated most of the patients at the scene and later transported them to nearby provincial hospitals for further care.
In a separate incident also on Tuesday, Meiring revealed that sixteen people were injured when the taxi they were travelling in rolled on the N2 Settlers Way in Bridgetown, Cape Town.
Meiring said ER24, Metro Ems and another service provider arrived on the scene at about 8 am to find a taxi on its side on the grassy embankment.
He said: “Several people were seated nearby. Medics assessed the patients and found that one was in a serious condition while fifteen others had sustained minor to moderate injuries.
“Fortunately, no there were no fatalities. The patients were treated, and the seriously injured patient was provided pain-relief medication before being transported to Provincial Hospitals for further care.”
Earlier this week, ER24 also responded to yet another car accident which had left thirteen people injured and one person dead.
The incident occurred on Saturday, February 4, when a taxi and a light motor vehicle collided head-on on the N1 in Klapmuts.
Commenting on the accident, Meiring said ER24 officials, along with a Metro EMS team and other services, attended to the incident at about 2pm to find an overturned light motor vehicle and a taxi on the side of the road.
He said: “Medics assessed the patients and found that one had sustained fatal injuries, and two others were trapped in the taxi in critical condition. The vehicle’s several other passengers had sustained minor to moderate injuries.”
Meiring said rescue services resorted to utilising specialised equipment to free the trapped patients from the taxi.
“Once released, medics treated the patients and provided the critically injured with advanced life support. One critically injured patient was airlifted by the AMS Medical helicopter to a nearby hospital while the remaining patients were transported by ambulance,” he said.