Nature Reserve Truck Overturns

A truck full of workers has overturned within the Suikerbosrand Nature Reserve. It seems that the driver lost control of the vehicle shortly before 4pm this afternoon, possibly due to mechanical failure, although the exact cause of the accident is still uncertain and will need to be investigated by the necessary authorities. It is further believed that the truck was travelling down a tar road in the Reserve, coming around a bend toward a T-Junction where he would have turned right to go towards the exit. The truck then collided with a curb, causing it to overturn onto its side. 

The truck is believed to have been returning the occupants to their homes after a days work within the Reserve. As the truck lost control and rolled some of the occupants were ejected while others remained inside the rear canvas covered compartment of the vehicle. ER24 paramedics explained that when they arrived on the scene there were a number of patients lying around the truck on the ground.

Fortunately no one was fatally injured in the accident, but two men, who are believed to have been flung from the truck, sustained critical injuries and were removed from the scene by two Medicopters. One man, who had sustained serious injury to his hips and his chest was airlifted to a Johannesburg hospital by the ER24 Discovery Medicopter. He was however fully alert and in severe pain. He was given pain medication by Advanced Life Support paramedics on the scene, stabilised and prepared for the Medicopter to transport him to a medical facility as soon as possible for further treatment. The other man was rushed to theater shortly after arrival at the hospital. 

Two other men sustained possible back and neck injuries and were loaded onto specialised equipment before being taken to nearby hospitals by road ambulances. A further eighteen to twenty patients were transported to surrounding hospitals for further assessment and treatment of minor injuries that they had sustained. It is believed that a further five or so patients had left the scene with private vehicles prior to the arrival of paramedics, and it is unclear as to whether they had sustained injury or not.

The patients treated were a mixture of males and females, with ages estimated to be between twenty and fifty years old. They had all sustained various injuries ranging from possible broken bones, back and neck injuries, chest injuries, lacerations and minor scrapes and bruises.