10 injured after bakkie crashes on the M3
A RARE weekend of zero road deaths in the Western Cape was almost marred early yesterday morning when a bakkie crashed in Tokai, flinging its passengers onto a busy street.
ER24 spokesman Russel Meiring said the vehicle rolled multiple times on the M3 and was found lying on the side of the road, with its cargo flung across the freeway.
Paramedics discovered that 10 people had sustained minor to moderate injuries. According to Meiring, most of the passengers had been travelling on the back and were catapulted from the bakkie when it flipped.
“Paramedics began treating the patients for their injuries and thereafter transported them to Mediclinic Constantiaberg for further treatment.”
Meiring added that it was believed the driver had lost control of the vehicle. Police and traffic officers at the scene were busy investigating early yesterday morning.
The potentially fatal crash followed a quiet weekend of no deaths on the province’s roads as reported by the Western Cape Transport Department.
Deaths over the past few weekends have been kept low, with five people killed last weekend and three the weekend before that. But the department said 24 people had been arrested for allegedly driving under the influence of alcohol. They were apprehended during the weekend’s 914 screenings.
The highest alcohol reading was recorded in Worcester where a driver tested at 1.07/1000ml, which is four times the national legal limit of 0.24mg/1000ml.
In addition to the arrests, 31 speeding incidents were recorded and 174 fines were issued for various traffic violations ranging from driver fitness to vehicle roadworthiness.
Fines amounted to more than R200 000.