ER24 paramedics rushed to the aid of 15 people who had been injured in a taxi accident on Edendale Road in Edendale Pietermaritzburg.
When they arrived at the scene they saw the taxi on the grassy verge next to the road, resting on its roof. Most of the patients were outside of the taxi, and some of whom were still lying where they had actually been ejected as the taxi had rolled. The cause of the accident is not known, but it it believed that the taxi driver may have lost control of the vehicle as it had come into a bend in the road.
Four people with serious injuries were stabilised at the scene, and the other 11 patients with minor injuries were assessed and treated for their injuries. All 15 people were taken to Edendale Hospital for further medical care.
As the paramedics were preparing to leave the scene, a car suddenly stopped, flagging them down. The man said that he had just driven past another accident further up Edendale road, and it seemed that a car was stuck in a fence. The paramedics immediately responded to the scene near Taylors Halt, and sure enough, a few meters up the road, was another accident. In slight disbelief, they approached the car, which was indeed stuck up against the fence as the passerby had stated.
It is believed that the driver lost control of the vehicle causing it to roll. An unfortunate pedestrian happened to be in the path of this out of control Renault Clio, and she was knocked to the ground. Luckily, she sustained only moderate injuries and was taken to hospital by ambulance.
The four men in the Renault were also fortunate to have sustained moderate injuries only. They were assessed, treated on scene and taken to a nearby hospital for further treatment.
Vanessa Jackson, ER24
