At 9h30 morning, the KwaZulu Private Ambulance Service was dispatched to a motor vehicle collision at the intersection of Sweetwaters Road and Thorpe Lane in Blackridge. The scene that met first responders was one of significant wreckage and a complex medical triage operation.
The incident occurred when a fully laden minibus taxi traveling along Sweetwaters Road reportedly lost control. The vehicle careened off the roadway, striking a residential retaining wall with immense force. The impact launched the vehicle into a series of violent rolls, causing it to overturn multiple times before finally coming to rest in Thorpe Lane below.
Paramedics and rescue personnel arrived to find a chaotic scene with wreckage strewn across the roadway. A total of 15 passengers required urgent medical intervention. Ten patients were found to have sustained serious injuries, including multiple fractures and suspected spinal trauma. Among the five patients treated for minor lacerations and abrasions were a two-year-old child and their mother, both of whom were stabilized on-site.
The driver of the taxi was found in a critical state, having sustained life-threatening injuries. Despite the exhaustive resuscitation efforts initiated by advanced life support paramedics, the driver’s condition deteriorated rapidly. Due to the severity of the trauma, the patient was tragically declared deceased on the scene.
The recovery and treatment operation necessitated the total closure of Thorpe Lane for approximately two hours. The Msunduzi Fire Department, South African Police Service (SAPS), and various private emergency services worked in a coordinated effort to extricate and stabilize the injured before they were transported to various medical facilities for specialized care.
Authorities have commenced a full investigation into the cause of the mechanical failure or driver error that led to the crash.
