06:30

Richmond road, Pinetown

A fully laden taxi and bakkie collided into one another on Richmond road in Pinetown this morning, leaving multiple patients with critical and serious injuries.

Paramedics arrived on the scene on Richmond road outside the truck hire depot to find that both the taxi and bakkie had crashed down the embankment following the initial impact, coming to rest beside one another. The driver and only occupant of the bakkie had suffered critical injuries and he was trapped in the wreckage. He was immediately placed in the care of the Advanced Life Support paramedic on scene and while the Jaws of Life were being used to assist in removing him from the wreckage, paramedics continued his care. His injuries included head injuries, chest injuries, internal injuries and multiple broken bones, and it was vital to remove him to hospital as soon as he was safely out of the wreck. AER24 was called to the scene and the 67 year old man was airlifted to St. Augustines hospital for further urgent medical care.

Sixteen other patients were treated for critical and serious injuries. They had suffered broken bones and back and neck injured as a result of being inside the taxi that had crashed down the embankment. They too received appropriate care on scene and were transported by ambulance to various hospitals in the surrounding area.

Investigations are underway as to the cause of the crash.

VanessaJackson

ER24