BLOEMFONTEIN 30 November 2011, 03:00
Four people have died and three others are in a serious condition following a single vehicle collision on the N8 in Bloemfontein earlier this morning.
The cause of the collision is still unknown, but the VW golf had allegedly lost control coming around a corner. The vehicle then skidded on the wall of a bridge before colliding into a road side tree at speed. There were 7 occupants in the vehicle at the time of the collision all aged between 17 and 23.
When ER24 paramedics arrived at the scene they could see that the collision was severe as the vehicle had sustained substantial damage. The single female and six men were all entrapped in the vehicle. Rescue workers from the local fire and rescue services used specialised hydraulic rescue equipment to cut the wreck in order to free the occupants.
Three of the occupants had sustained fatal injuries and were declared dead at the scene. The remaining four occupants received on-scene treatment for injuries ranging from cuts and bruises to broken bones, suspected back and neck injuries as well as chest and head injuries. All the occupants were transported to Pelonomi hospital for further care.
Paramedics later received word that a fourth person has died at the hospital. Local law enforcement authorities who attended the scene will be investigating the incident further.
Andre Visser, ER24
