Man loses 6 family members in accident
Emer-G-Med responded to the accident and said its crew were met with absolute carnage on the scene
MBOMBELA - A man is the sole survivor of an accident that claimed the lives of six of his family members; his wife, children and grandchildren included.
The deceased were aged between two and 50, confirmed Moeti Mmusi, the spokesperson for the Department of Community Safety, Security and Liaison.
The family were coming from a wedding in Komatipoort heading back home to Tembisa, when the accident occurred on the N4 near Elandshoek on Saturday.
According to Mmusi, the family’s car, a Mercedes-Benz sedan, had been sideswiped by an articulated truck.
All occupants in the car, aside from the driver, Francisco Julioa Ntimane, died upon impact.
Emer-G-Med responded to the accident and said its crews were met with absolute carnage on the scene.
“The MercedesBenz lay in pieces on the roadway. The extensive damage to the vehicle caused it to burst into flames shortly after impact. However, swift action from fire services saw the blaze extinguished and Ntimane, who was trapped in the wreckage, extracted using the Jaws of Life.”
He suffered serious injuries and was airlifted to Rob Ferreira Hospital.
The emergency service said according to eyewitness reports, the sedan had attempted to overtake another vehicle, heading into oncoming traffic. The truck driver attempted to avoid the collision, but was unable. He was unharmed.
“The cause of the collision has not yet been established, but an investigation is already under way,” said the department.
A family friend, who was with Ntimane in hospital, said though in a critical condition, Ntimane was doing better, but was not able to speak to Lowvelder himself.
He is currently awaiting surgery for injuries suffered to his head, legs and chest.
The friend said they are planning to have a mass funeral for the deceased this coming weekend, however, he is not sure if Ntimane will make it due to his condition.
Three pedestrians were slightly injured due to the accident as they were hit by debris coming from the involved vehicles. Another car, stationary on the side of the road, was slightly damaged.