Early Weekend Carnage

Paramedics were kept busy early this weekend as accidents across Johannesburg left numerous people in serious conditions and some dead.

Early Saturday morning, paramedics attended to an incident on the R562 near Erasmia where a Land Rover and a Truck collided head on with each other near the Mnandi turn off. When paramedics arrived on the scene, they found a man, believed to be in his early 30's trapped behind the steering wheel of his Land Rover. He was in a critical condition and barely breathing. He sustained multiple injuries and possible serious head injuries during the accident.

The man had to be rescued from his vehicle where paramedics could initiate advanced life support in order to save his life. It is understood that the Land Rover and the Truck collided head on where after the truck overturned and the Land Rover crashed into a veld next to the road. No one in the truck was seriously injured.

The man was transported per ambulance to a hospital in Sunninghill for further medical stabilization.

Shortly after this incident, paramedics were rushed to another incident on the N1 south near the Allandale off ramp where a car overturned after it allegedly collided with the Armco barriers.

When paramedics arrived on the incident, they found a man, 32 years old, lying half way outside of his vehicle. He sustained injuries to his hand and possible spinal injuries. Paramedics treated the man on the scene and transported him to the Tembisa hospital for further treatment.

The man explained that he apparently lost control over his vehicle.

In Potchefstroom, a 5 day old baby had to be rescued from a burning house when apparently a gas heater caught alight. Paramedics and fire fighters arrived on the scene and found the house well alight. Fire fighters immediately started to extinguish the fire and found the 5 day old baby with his family.

The baby was treated for smoke inhalation and rushed off to a nearby hospital. None of the parents sustained any injuries, but was assessed on the scene.

Also in Pothefstroom near the Carltonville turn off, paramedics attended to a farm worker that was left in a critical condition after a truck apparently lost control and drove into a group of people. All of the people managed to escape, but one man was hit by the truck. The man sustained multiple head injuries and paramedics had to rush him off to the Pothchefstroom hospital for specialist medical treatment.

On Saturday in Johannesburg, a bakkie and a Volvo collided head on with each other near Chloorkop. The male driver of the Volvo was killed in this incident. Three people in the bakkie were assessed on the scene, but no one sustained any injuries. According to bystanders on the scene, the Volvo was apparently driving on the wrong side of the road when the collision occurred.

Late Saturday evening paramedics were kept busy once again with a six car pile up near the M1 and Corlett drive. No one sustained serious injuries in this collision, but about eight people were assessed on the scene.

From this incident, paramedics rushed to Germiston where nine cars collided with each other near Tonkmeter Road. No one sustained any injuries in this collision.

In the early hours of Sunday morning, paramedics had their hands full with a two vehicle accident in Lenasia. The vehicles collided with each other near the Nirvana intersection and left one person dead and eight others injured.