At approximately 14h40 today, Tuesday 28 August 2007, Netcare 911 paramedics responded to a report of a serious collision on the N3 direction south close to the Van Buuren road off ramp in Bedfordview, Johannesburg.
The exact cause of the collision is unclear but it appears that a large, fully loaded 18 wheeler flat bed truck and trailer was travelling in a northerly direction before it crashed through the centre armco barrier that divided the two highways. Motorists on both sides of the highway swerved to avoid the debris and other vehicles and this resulted in a multi-vehicle pile up. This was a large incident with vehicles and injured victims on both sides of the highway and it appears that the accident scene consisted of the large truck with its load strapped down under a plastic tarpaulin, a jack knifed petrol tanker, a smaller 1 ton truck and 5 light motor vehicles. Some of the cars were severely damaged and it was very lucky that this did not result in any fatal injuries.
Paramedics from Netcare 911 and the Provincial ambulance service attended to 5 patients at the scene and fire fighters had to use the “jaws of life” to free a woman who was trapped in her wreck for an extended period of time due to the severe damage to the structure of the vehicle. This lady was in a serious yet stable condition. One of the injured refused to go to hospital and chose to remain at the scene. In total; 4 patients were transported by ambulances from Netcare 911 and the Provincial ambulance service to hospitals in the area.
Traffic flow came to a virtual stand still on both sides of the highway.
After almost three hours, the north bound highway has been reopened but traffic is extremely slow with a tremendous backlog.
Emergency personnel are attempting to clear the wrecks on the south bound side of the highway but traffic is still at a virtual standstill. This incident was attended to by Netcare 911, Provincial fire and ambulance services as well as the traffic police.
[ Information provided by Netcare 911 to the Road Safety & Arrive Alive Blog]
NETCARE 911
Emergency No. 082 911
Road Safety & Arrive Alive Blog 