Driver arrested after bakkie rolls

AN alleged drunk driver was arrested and two passengers, including a one-year-old toddler, were admitted to hospital after a vehicle rolled down an embankment on Saturday.

The 27-year-old Port Elizabeth man was arrested on the scene but released on R1 000 bail later.

Police said he was driving an Isuzu bakkie when he lost control at the intersection of Old Seaview Road and Lakeside Road in Chelsea at about 5.30pm.

Police spokeswoman Captain Sandra Janse van Rensburg said the child was rushed to hospital in a serious condition while a 26-year-old woman sustained injuries to her neck, back and leg.

None of the occupants were related to one another, but the two adults were friends and the toddler’s parents, who were travelling behind them, were also friends of the adults, police said.

Janse van Rensburg confirmed the child was flung from the vehicle as it rolled.

It remains unclear where the toddler was sitting at the time of the crash.

“It is believed the driver lost control of the bakkie.

“Police on the scene had reason to suspect the driver was under the influence of alcohol. He was arrested and taken to hospital for blood to be drawn.”

Janse van Rensburg said the bakkie had been confiscated for the accident response unit and detectives to investigate any possible mechanical issues.

She said the driver had been detained in the cells for a few hours before being released on bail with a warning to appear in the Port Elizabeth Magistrate’s Court on October 2.

“This is to allow time for blood results and various reports to be gathered.”