Seven killed at crossing with tragic history
“IT IS as if the accident happened this morning.”
These are the words of Gerty Willeman‚ who lost a child in 2010 when a taxi transporting schoolchildren collided with a train at a level- crossing in Blackheath‚ Cape Town. Ten children died.
Yesterday‚ history repeated itself when seven men were killed when their bakkie was hit by a train at the same spot.
The accident has been attributed‚ for now‚ to human error. The bakkie allegedly tried to follow a taxi that made a last-minute dash across the tracks.
“This morning has been very emotional for me. A friend called to check up on me and I told her that I am not going to the scene. I just don’t have the energy to go through everything again‚” she said.
Willeman battled to hold back tears when she heard of the news of yesterday’s accident. Memories of the day when she heard that her 13year-old son‚ Jean-Pierre‚ had died came flooding back. He would have been 21 had he lived.
“I don’t know what to say to the mothers of the men that passed away. It is never easy to lose a child no matter how old the child is. I relived everything this morning; it is as if the accident happened this morning‚” she said.
Police spokesman Lieutenant-Colonel André Traut said the accident happened at 5.45am and that the men who died were aged between 30 and 42.
Metrorail spokesperson Zino Mihi said the crew on the train were in shock and would receive emotional and medical support.
According to the Railway Safety Regulator (RSR): “The bakkie was following a taxi on Frederick Road‚ parallel to the railway track approaching the Buttskop level-crossing. As the train was approaching the crossing‚ the taxi drove across and the bakkie followed the taxi‚ but was unfortunately hit by the train.”
RSR acting chief executive Tshepo Kgare said: “It is very sad and extremely concerning that this level-crossing has yet again claimed the lives of road-users. One life lost is one life too many.”
The Blackheath level-crossing has boom gates and flashing lights. —