2 Hospitalised following armed robbery/shooting at Northgate mall

2 Hospitalised following armed robbery/shooting at Northgate mall

This morning, Thursday 28 August 2008, Netcare 911 paramedics responded to reports of a shooting at the Northgate Mall in Northgate, Randburg.

Eye witnesses alleged that shots were fired following an armed robbery at one of the jewellery stores below the banking mall. Fortunately nobody was shot but paramedics attended to two patients as a result of the anxiety caused by the shooting incident.

A pregnant lady collapsed following the incident and an adult male with a cardiac condition experienced chest pain as a result of the stress. The lady was transported by ambulance to the Netcare Olivedale hospital and the male patient was transported by ambulance to the Helen Joseph hospital.

Both patients were transported by Netcare 911 to hospital for further assessment and treatment, they were both in a stable condition.

This incident was attended to by Netcare 911 and the SAPS.

NETCARE 911
Emergency No. 082 911

[ Information provided by Netcare 911 to the Road Safety & Arrive Alive Blog]

Beware of needles and blood at accident scenes!!

The Arrive Alive received a very important alert from IBF Investigations alerting us to the dangers of needles and blood on accident scenes. It is something that we all need to be aware of and is a warning to all medical personnel, accident investigators and even bystanders at an accident scene. Read the full alert below:
As a Special Forensic Accident Investigation and Reconstruction entity, we see the worst the worst at accident scenes. These are also (obviously) very perilous places, and practically anyone will realize that you have to keep your wits about you when you go about your at-scene business.

Many of our clients regularly send managers, fleet controllers, mechanics and even senior
managers to accident scenes, where they interact with emergency and law enforcement workers, recovery personnel, etc. Fact is – anyone who goes to an accident scene is constantly exposed to potential risks. These risks include things like secondary accidents, fire, explosions, noxious gases, violent offenders (drunk drivers), possible criminals (vehicles linked to armed robberies, drug trafficking) etc.

These are obvious issues that just about any lay person will understand easily. But what
happens afterwards? When the vehicles are removed, the roads are cleared, the bodies are
taken away and/or the vehicles returned to the respective owners? This is an example of the additional risks all people (anyone interacting with vehicles) could be exposed to, in addition to the obvious risks mentioned before.

Beware of needles and blood at accident scenes!!

We were recently appointed in a matter after the fact. The accident happened on the R304, outside Stellenbosch on 7 July 2008. We were appointed some days later, after all these risks have been all but eliminated. We proceeded to trace vehicles and to conduct our post-event mechanical analysis, photograph vehicles, etc. We got to one particular vehicle some 17 days later (25 July) and started our investigation. Now – we have been asked many times, why we wear rubber gloves when we examine vehicles, and we have tried to explain the dangers associated with foreign matter like blood. Blood-borne
pathogens are a known threat to investigators, and ANY person interacting with a situation (like an accident, or accident vehicle) where there COULD be blood, should be wearing his gloves.

But read on, and see if you now understand the potential risks we face, and how easily you or someone you know could be exposed to a similar risk…
Here is the accident scene that took place, as explained. You can see the emergency workers attending to a person inside the little truck. You can also see that the accident is serious and that there are no private medical services present at this time. You can clearly see a medical (Fire Service) worker inside the cab of the truck, attending to an injured driver.

Beware of needles and blood at accident scenes!!

This is the same truck, 17 days later, as we examined it. You will specifically notice that there is a seat still present where that Fireman was busy treating the patient, and that the vehicle is badly damaged. Since the vehicle carried no dangerous goods, we would have had no concerns regarding potential risk. Also, there is not a great amount of blood visible, and we know that the driver was not extensively injured. To the un-trained eye, there is no risk here…

Beware of needles and blood at accident scenes!!

This is the Driver’s seat from a little closer. Just to confirm – there were no serious injuries (to the driver), and he was taken out of the vehicle. As you look at this image, you will see that there is not much blood around and that there would not (typically) be any specific reason to be very concerned about voodoo concepts like “blood-borne pathogens” and stuff. Well, let’s just look a bit closer, shall we…

Beware of needles and blood at accident scenes!!

We’re now even closer to the seat. See if you can detect any reason for concern. Let me give you a hint… It is visible, it does not belong here, and it was INTENTIALLY placed there… Oh, and it can be very dangerous indeed… See it yet?

Beware of needles and blood at accident scenes!!

NOW, can you see it? Yes. That is the back-end of a needle poking out of the rear of the driver’s seat… See it now? Would you have seen this, if you did not know it was there, and if you were trying to lean across the seat to get to some (important) papers in the vehicle that you needed to take out?

Beware of needles and blood at accident scenes!!

Just for those who do not know what they are looking at… This is the tail-end of a medical needle. As you can see, there is still blood inside it, so it is a used needle. Although we know that the driver of this vehicle was in this seat, there is no simple way of knowing that this was used on him. It could have been used on anyone at the scene, and (INTENTIONALLY) put here. Now, keep in mind that this was poked into the seat, all the way, from the REAR of the seat – so there is NO WAY that this was coincidental! But, where is the business-end of this puppy? Let me show you…

Beware of needles and blood at accident scenes!!

Clue… It’s there, I promise. See if you can spot it! Can you?

Beware of needles and blood at accident scenes!!

Can you see this? Imagine sliding into- or sitting in this seat, or running your hand over it as you stretch across to fetch something?

Beware of needles and blood at accident scenes!!

The offending item… Wouldn’t it just be fun to be stuck in the back by this?

Now PLEASE make sure that you contact EVERYONE YOU KNOW and explain to them that – just because vehicles are no longer at accident scenes – they are not necessarily safe!

I would question the sanity of this act, but who am I, right? I am just worried about my safety, yours and those of the people I work closely with. So, in the age-old words of the Arrive Alive campaign: “Look, think and stay alive.”

Hope this was educational, and that you take heed of this very serious risk… this could have been a vehicle you worked in-, on- or around. This warning can affect everyone from other medical workers to company workshop staff, to tow truck operators to police- traffic and fire personnel, family, friends, drivers or cleaners or ANYONE who could interact with vehicles…

Stanley S Bezuidenhout

Also visit the section “Blood and Road Safety” on the Arrive Alive Road Safety website

Two road side shootings in Sandton last night

Two road side shootings in Sandton last night

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

At approximately 21h08 on Wednesday night 27 August 2008, Netcare 911 paramedics responded to reports of a shooting incident at the intersection of William Nicol drive and Fourways boulevard in Fourways, north of Sandton. This is one of the biggest and busiest intersections in the area.

Paramedics from Netcare 911, the provincial ambulance service, Lonehill fire department, Metro police and the SAPS all attended to what appeared to be a drive-by shooting. The victims vehicle had many bullet holes in it with more than ten holes in the drivers side door alone. The adult male occupant of the 4×4 vehicle sustained serious injuries after he had been shot several times in his abdomen and he was stabilised by paramedics at the scene before being transported by ambulance to an undisclosed hospital for further treatment. Multiple shell casings were found at the scene and police cordoned off the area.

Earlier on in the evening, approximately 1 or 2 kilometres away, emergency services attended to a shooting incident whereby a minibus taxi was hit by gunfire. The driver of the taxi was not shot and was lucky to escape with only minor injuries. Police were investigating to see weather the two shootings were linked.

NETCARE 911
Emergency No. 082 911

[ Information provided by Netcare 911 to the Road Safety & Arrive Alive Blog]

Congrats to the Road Accident Fund on speedy service!

Congrats to the Road Accident Fund on speedy service!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The word Batho Pele refers to the objective of achieving effective service delivery. In 2006 road safety and Batho Pele were addressed by the Minister of Transport, Minister Radebe in the Department of Transport Strategic Plan. The Strategic Plan is seen as more than a mere road safety plan, and focuses on service delivery through the implementation of the principles of Batho Pele across all spheres of Transport.

Effective communication with the public is one of these principles. I believe that it is only fair that we recognize such communication and service delivery – and having experienced this at the start of this week I would like to compliment the Communications Department at the Road Accident Fund.

The Consumer Reporter at the Daily Sun forwarded written complaints to the Arrive Alive Website at the start of the week. The Arrive Alive website was requested to “look into the complaint and assist the complainant”.

These complaints dealt with matters of payment for accident claims and as this falls outside the scope of Arrive Alive these were forwarded to colleagues at the Road Accident fund.

Within two days I received a response that these have been dealt with, and I would [without reflecting on the merits of the complaints and identity of those involved] like to quote these responses:

• “The claim was paid out in 2006 already to ABC Attorneys. When I called the claimant this morning he told me that he has since received the money, wasn’t even interested in further conversation, he just said the misunderstanding has been cleared and he is happy. I left it at that. Regards “

• “Good Morning. Unfortunately the claim was settled last year by the Road Accident Fund with the attorney, his only avenue that is supposed to assist him is the Law Society. Since we are not privy to the agreement that he signed with the attorney we have no way of knowing what percentage they agreed upon with the attorney. We are also not privy to the fees incurred by the attorney on behalf of the claimant, only the Law Society can force the attorney to reveal all these details. According to the system a capital amount of 100 000 was paid to the attorney on 30/11/2007 and if they had agreed on 25% as he says he was supposed to get 75000.00.
A further amount of 50577.64 was paid as costs to the attorney on the 05/02/2008 which is made up as follows:
22785.64 relates to the attorney’s legal fees (party &party costs)
21030.00 relates to the Advocate’s fees
6762.00 relates to costs of the medico-legal

I have called the claimant this morning and explained to him that after the matter has been settled there is very little the RAF can do, we can only advise, I advised him to pursue the matter further with the Law Society.”

• Good morning. I have contacted the person telephonically this morning as I couldn’t trace his claim on the system. It turned out that his claim is with the Compensation Commissioner as he was injured by a conveyer belt at work. His claim has nothing to do with the Road Accident Fund, as he explained to me he was trying every avenue to get compensation as he is frustrated with slow progress by the Compensation Commissioner. Since he confirmed having a letter from Compensation Commissioner I advised to continue corresponding with them.

The Arrive Alive Website and this Blog would like to extend a word of appreciation to Connie, Ayanda, Carol and colleagues at the RAF for the quality service provided! Road Safety can anly benefit if all role players strive to achieve the principles of Batho Pele!