Arrogance of Robbers in Pretoria

I would like to share with you a terrible experience I had on the 24th of January 2007, which ended well under the circumstances.

I live in ### Koljander Avenue, Newlands in the Pretoria Eastern suburbs. Just another Wednesday night, and busy rounding up some work on my computer, when I see that my brother in law returns home after visiting his girlfriend. After my brother in law has parked I notice some guys sneaking in just before the gate closes. I try and refocus, the picture I have just witnessed, thinking it cannot be.
When I realise the criminal act that is in progress, I recollect my thoughts and actions, I run towards my alarm console and activate the panic button.
Not to bothered by the sirens of the alarm, these criminals still struggle away with the gate and basically rip the entire gate off of it's rail.

Now all 4 of the criminals are on the premises. The first 2 that snuck in is busy holding my brother in law at gun point, taking his car keys, cellphone and wallet, and questioning him about the presence of more people on the premises (Just your typical armed robbery scenario according to Brooklyn Police officers). Luckily my brother in laws response is "No". At this time my 3 kids are sleeping not aware of any danger just happening outside of their bedroom windows.

My Neighbour next door starts to shout out towards my side, mocking the alarm, not aware that a crime is in progress.
At this stage I had contacted one of my police friends, who immediately called in assistance.
My brother in law starts to shout out in a frantic panic, and this is when the criminals decide to head out. My neigbour realises what is happening and shouts out towards the criminals. They fired 2 shots in his direction in the breakaway run. One of the bullets traveled up to the second story window, where my neighbours son was standing watching the incident.

My neighbour across the road fired a warning shot which probably helped convince the criminals they are not welcome. The criminals got into the car seen in the very first picture behind my brother in laws car, and drove off.
In the very first picture, you can see the typical normality of just arriving at home, and wanting to continue with your every day evening events, not realising that a car that has just passed you are filled with hardened criminals, that is out to prey on the normal citizens of society. When the alarm was triggered they still continued with their act of crime, not too bothered by any possible consequences. (Probably because jail life in SA, is better than making your own living)
I thank God that he directed my eyes towards the camera's at that very moment seeing the incident happen, it could have gone very south for me and my whole family.
I raise a salute towards the SA Police of Brooklyn and ADT which arrived on the scene within 5 minutes from the initial call."Well done!!!"
I am thankful for following my own premonition's a few weeks earlier to invest in a CCTV system, fixing my electric fence and alarm system, that had been out of action for a few weeks then. (Isn't this just sad how we are forced to live in the greatest country in the world?)
Now we just need to hope and pray that our country will start moving to action and implementing stricter rules and penalties to help protect the citizens that are making a difference.
In the last few months our media has been so filled with similar incidents and crimes, just many of them weren't as fortunate as we were. It is sad that our country wants to be a world class player in major events, but it doesn't even have the capacity to provide protection to its citizens. What about power, transport and a dozen other basic necessities.
What is the government going to do? is the question. People I urge all of you who are currently a part of this nation to apply pressure in all ways and means within your powers to ensure your voice be heard regarding this unacceptable lifestyle we have to be satisfied with, in the most beautiful country in the world.

Sent in by Sandy Stolz via email

Two People Critical in Houghton

Two people were critically injured when a minibus taxi collided head-on with another vehicle in Houghton, Johannesburg emergency services said.It appeared the taxi drove through red traffic lights straight into a Toyota bakkie on Houghton Road around 1pm on Thursday, said ER24 spokesperson Riana Beech.The bakkie was then hit from the back by a VW Golf that was driving behind it. "A woman fell out of the taxi which came to a halt on her as it fell on its side. Bystanders and other passengers pulled the woman out from under it, said Beech.The driver of the bakkie was also critically injured.

Emergency service treated 16 passengers on scene, Beech said. - Sapa / IOL

Three hours unattended after accident

A 29 year old male and his 34 year old girl friend took a brand new Honda CBR 600 2007 model for a test drive at approximately 23h00 on 19 January 2007. A 23 year old friend waited at the Honda Midrand where the driver of the bike works. The driver was supposed to take the girl for a “spin” on the bike and then return to fetch his 23 year old friend, who apparently also works at Honda Midrand.

[The Honda CBR 600 2007 model is a brand new bike, and was only brought into the country and put together yesterday. The nationwide launch of this new bike is suppose to take place today (20 January 2007), now with no bike.]

Whilst the 23 year old male patiently waited at the garage, he received a phone call from the girl letting him know that they were “wiped” off the bike. The call was placed at about 23h30. The girl could not move at the stage and only tell him that she is lying somewhere. She could only see a CHIVAS Advertisement Board and she thinks she is next to the Ben Schoeman highway direction Pretoria.

The 23 old gentleman frantically started searching for his friends and contacted ER24 to assist. ER24 launched a Search and Rescue with five emergency vehicles and 11 paramedics, in the area where they were last at. He (the 23 year old friend) later found an off duty Fire Fighter Volunteer and asked for assistance. They both started their search in different directions.

We found a CHIVAS Ad on the highway next to Vodaworld. We searched the whole area and could not find anything indicating a bike accident. After more than an hour’s search we thought that this is a hoax call. The cell phone signal was “pinged” to the area and the cellular company confirmed that the call was made from the Vodaworld area. The search continued.

ER24 paramedics from all over Johannesburg joined up underneath the CHIVAS Ad on the highway to plan the next step. At this stage we decided to switch on the sirens of all the vehicles, whilst in contact with the girl. She immediately said she can hear the sirens very clear. In the meanwhile the 23 year old friend, took a wrong turn in Pharmaceutical road – across the highway - and was looking at the CHIVAS Ad from the other side. He also heard the sirens and ran towards it. With this, he discovered a hole in the fence. He then ran towards the highway to meet up with the paramedics from ER24. Moments later we discovered the hole in the security fence was made by the bike. We found the bike scattered in pieces.

When paramedics arrived two critical injured bike riders were lying in the grass next to their bike. They were both cold and sustained severe injuries. The driver of the bike sustained multiple head injuries, possible scull fractures and chest injuries. The girl could barely move, she sustained major chest and pelvic injuries. They were both rapidly stabilized by ER24 paramedics and transported to hospital. The 29 year old male was transported to Sandton MediClinic in a critical condition. The 34 year old girl was transported with another ambulance to the Fourways Life Hospital.

If these two patients weren’t rescued, they probably would have been dead by morning.

A joint effort of team work and dedicated paramedics made the rescue possible. She is lucky to have had her Cell phone near her and the call could be “pinged” to the nearest tower location.

Thank you to everyone involved; our emergency dispatcher from ER24, the paramedics and especially to the off duty fire fighter that truly lived up to his calling, a volunteer.

Tripple Taxi Accident

A triple taxi accident left 30 injured this afternoon on Main Reef road in Roodepoort. A taxi allegedly stopped before the Robert Road intersection in the slow lane to off load commuters. Another taxi could not stop in time and collided into the back of the taxi.

The taxi that collided into the taxi that stopped, collided with another taxi and then with a bakkie. The third taxi was then pushed into a white citi golf.

One of the taxis came to a standstill almost 50 meters from the original scene. Some of the taxis transported between 14 and 16 people. Fortunately not everyone was hurt.
Almost 30 people were injured from all the taxis together and were assisted by ER24, NetCare and Provincial Ambulance Services.

Two men from the bakkie were assessed by paramedics on scene – they were unscathed. The mother and father in the Citi Golf just picked up their 10 year old son from school when the accident occurred, they were not hurt in the accident, but the boy was traumatized about what had just happened.

Emergency Services made a joint effort due to all of the patients.

Patients were transported to the Leratong and Helen Joseph Hospitals respectively.

The scene was kept safe and monitored by ER24’s Scene Safety Vehicle to ensure no secondary collisions occur, due to the wide spread accident.

Taxi and car parts were spread across all three lanes of the road. The road was later closed of completely. Traffic backed up in the direction Roodepoort as far as Commando road.

Metro Police and JFD attended the scene.

Audi vs Audi in Rosebank

At approximately 20h20 two Audis collided in the intersection of Jan Smuts and Princess of Wales drive. According to a bystander a black Audi Convertible skipped the stop street and a black Audi Station Wagon collided on the driver’s side of the convertible.

The female driver of the Audi convertible was assessed by paramedics on scene, but removed by Rosebank Police to the local police station. According to the police a case will be opened. They did not mention what the applicable charge will be.

The male driver of the station wagon was unscathed, but also assessed by paramedics. Both vehicles came to a standstill next to the road. The convertible was flung against a tree and the other onto the pavement.

Metro Police, SAPS and FD attended the scene.

Child Seat can Save a Life

At approximately 16h35 this afternoon a white Golf 4 overturned on the N1 highway at the Maraisburg off ramp in a Southern direction. According to the 28 year old mother who was driving the vehicle at the time, she apparently lost control after swerving for something in the road. The vehicle skidded across the highway from the fast lane right into the embankment. She is fortunate not to have collided with any other vehicles.

When paramedics arrived on scene, the female driver was sitting next to the car crying. Paramedics attended to her. We soon discovered that her 1 year old daughter was also involved in the accident. At the time of the accident, her child was fastened in the car seat.

The mother sustained minor injuries, but complained about pain. She was stabilized on scene by ER24 paramedics. It appears that her daughter did not sustain any injuries and was not even crying on scene. According to the mother everything was thrown around in the car when it toppled and she was just worried about her daughter. After the accident the car seat still remained exactly where it was placed in the first place and she removed her daughter from the seat unscathed.

A child seat is recommended for small children in a car, it could just save a life. Please note when you are placing a child seat in the front passenger seat, that the passenger airbag is switched off or disconnected, as this can injure your little one. Always read the instructions and recommended use of your child seat to ensure maximum safety. A non secure car seat can injure others in the car.

The traffic was severely backed up due to onlookers.

JMPD and FD attended the scene.

Suicide suspected in collision between bakkie, train

15 January 2007 04:39

A railway line north of Pretoria was reopened on Monday afternoon following the deaths of three people when a train hit a bakkie near Ga-Rankuwa, said a railway official.

The train driver and guard were sent for trauma counselling after what a witness told rail officials and paramedics appeared to have been a suicide bid by the bakkie driver.

"The line has been certified safe to use at 4.35pm, so it's open," said a spokesperson for Metrorail, Thokozani Zitha.

She said peak-hour rail traffic was expected to continue as normal.The accident north of Pretoria took place at about noon, when the train hit the bakkie at a level crossing. All the bakkie's occupants -- two adults and an infant -- died. Nobody on the train was injured, said Zitha. Both Zitha and paramedics said a witness described how the bakkie driver drove up to the level crossing, stopped and waited for the train. He then drove on to the tracks in the path of the train and stopped.Zitha said the train driver hooted, as is standard at crossings, but the bakkie did not move. She said the witness believed it could have been suicide by the bakkie driver. "I can't confirm that, but that's what the witness said."ER24 spokesperson Riana Beech said paramedics found that the baby, about a year old, had been flung from the bakkie on to concrete about 300m away from the collision. The bakkie with the two adults trapped in it was dragged about 700m, coming to rest trapped under the train. All were certified dead on the scene.There was no way the bakkie driver could not have seen the train, the witness told ER24.

"As soon as the train was within a few metres, the driver crossed the railway line. The train could not avoid speeding into the vehicle," said Beech. The victims were assumed to be from the same family.Metrorail has set up an inquiry into the incident.

-- Sapa -- pic // web

Go Left, Go Right, Go Ditch

The driver of a red MR2 lost control this morning of her sports vehicle on the N1 highway, just before the Beyers Naude Off Ramp. She said she was on her way home and travelling North on the Highway.
According to the driver, she said another car pushed her from the road and she plowed into the ditch.

When paramedics arrived on scene, the male passenger got out of the vehicle - unscathed.

The lady was still trying to drive her sports vehicle from the ditch, not knowing her front and rear wheels aren't touching ground.

She was assessed, but refused to get out of the car. She insisted on waiting for a tow truck to pull her out so she can drive further. Towing services explained that her vehicle was badly damaged, but she then asked the ambulance to tow her out.

Fortunately she did not sustain any injuries.

The paramedics from ER24 was also travelling on the highway and came accross the accident. The two occupants of the vehicle was advised to go to hospital.

Deathbend Claims Another

The Maraisburg death-bend claimed yet another accident between the two cemeteries on Saturday at about 17h40.

A white VW golf and a dark colored Hyundai collided head on in the bend, sending both vehicles to the one side of the road. According to the driver of the Hyundai the Golf came around the bend and the next moment crashed into him.

ER24 paramedics had to extricate all of the patients from the cars.

The Golf carried four occupants – the driver sustained chest injuries and one of his passengers sustained upper limb injuries. Both of them were transported by ER24 to the Helen Joseph Hospital for further medical treatment. Two of the other occupants were treated and assessed on the scene.

The driver of the Hyundai sustained facial injuries and was also transported by ER24 to the Flora Clinic for further treatment.

Rainy weather made the road very slippery. Drivers are cautioned to decrease their speeds especially after rain.

Bus Crash kills two - Multiple Injured

A bus collided with a Mercedes at the Maropa Casino Off ramp in Limpopo at approximately 10h00 yesterday morning. Two people have been killed in the Mercedes - they are believed to have been killed on impact. Both of them are believed to be in their thirties. It is unclear at this stage where they were traveling to.

According to eyewitnesses the Mercedes did not stop at the stop street and the Bus collided on the side of the Mercedes. Four people have been critically injured in the bus and about 30 others have been assessed on scene. The four injured have been transported to the Limpopo Provincial hospital for further treatment.

The bus was on its way on the N1 direction Pretoria when the accident occurred.

Traffic and Police are on scene to investigate. Two lanes have been closed for the duration of the investigation.

The four injured mostly sustained head and limb injuries.

Fourways claims Four in Chaos Crash

An eyewitness explained yesterday afternoon how he saw his life flashing in front of him whilst he was traveling on William Nichol before the Lone hill Boulevard. According to the eyewitness a white Mercedes Benz veered off the road and suddenly swerved into oncoming traffic.

The white Mercedes plowed into a Silver Mercedes SUV and sent both vehicle spinning off into two more vehicle, a Toyota Prado and a BMW Sport Vehicle.

The 20 year old driver of the Mercedes sustained massive head injuries and received Advanced Life Support Procedures on scene to save his life. He was then transported per ambulance in a critical condition to the Johannesburg General Hospital. Four more people were injured in this collision, a husband and wife in the Prado, a gentleman in the BMW and a Lady in the Mercedes SUV.

The driver of the Mercedes SUV and White Mercedes had to be rescued from their vehicles by the Fire Department with their Jaws-of-Life.

It is unclear at this stage why the Mercedes swerved or for what he swerved. Traffic was blocked off completely in the Fourways direction and some vehicles had to make use of alternatives routes.

Metro Police attended to the scene.

Ambulance Crash injures Seven

An ambulance overturned in boksburg yesterday afternoon. Seven people have been injured in this accident of which one is critical. Four patients and two medics were injured and had to be transported to various hospital for stabilization.

According to a witness on scene the ambulance was traveling on a slipway at the Campbell and Railway roads in Boksburg when a car lost control and collided on the drivers side of the ambulance. This in turn tipped the ambulance and it overturned several times.

One of the patient’s that was transported in the back of the ambulance sustained critical injuries, due to the accident. It is unknown what injuries or for what reason he was transported for by the ambulance. The other three patients were also stabilized and transported to Tambo Memorial Hospital.

One patient from the car is in a stable condition and transported to the Glynnwood Hospital.

Both the Paramedics are stable in transported to the Glynnwood Hospital

Traffic Department will be investigating the accident. The slipway was closed during the investigation.

Three Cows and a Tazz

This vehicle was allegedly stolen. It was then in an accident.

3 cows were found inside --- tied up and squashed in!! ---

See the 1st and 2nd photo.

When the cows were removed the vehicle's rear seat and front passenger seat had been

removed to fit the cattle in!!!

The last photo shows the 3 cows after their release ---

Remarkably unscathed!!!
Only in South Africa !!!

Pedestrian Killed on N1

The notorious N1 claimed yet another life between Beyers Naude and Hans Strijdom - direction North.
A pedestrian was killed in the fast lane of the highway at approximately 20h20 (5 January 2007). According to the driver of a 4x4 Landrover a guy just walked right in front of him in the fast lane. The driver said he tried to swerve to avoid the collision, but was impossible. The vehicle collided with the pedestrian and dragged him for about 20 metres. The Landrover came to a standstill only a couple ofmetres further down the road.
The pedestrian sustained fatal head injuries and was declared dead by ER24 paramedics on scene.
The pedestrian appears to be at a young age, it was not possible to determine an age - due to the massivehead and body injuries. He also sustained multiple fractures. Possibly by being dragged underneath theLandrover.
The driver - believed to be in his 30's - did not sustain any injuries, but was assessed by paramedics onscene. The airbags of the Landrover did deploy on collision.
The highway's fast and middle lane was closed in the direction for the duration of the investigation.
It is unclear at this stage what the man was doing on the highway and if he attempted to cross thehighway when the accident occurred.

Johannesburg Metro Police Department will be investigating the incident.

One die as Car Crash into bus

On 1 January 2007 at approximately 07h40 ER24 was called out to the N1, just before New Road, direction north. On arrival we found a VW Golf stuck under the back of a bus. The two occupants were stuck inside of the wreck. The passenger was already dead, and the 22 year old driver was in a critical condition.

According to the driver of the Mafosa's Transport bus, they came from the FNB stadium and was on their way to Pretoria. He says they were traveling in the left lane. As he approached the New Road off ramp, he heard and felt something strange, but was not sure what it could have been. He traveled for at least another 70 meters before pulling over the the emergency lane to investigate. He noticed the car at the back of the bus. They immediately phoned the emergency services.

Paramedics treated the young driver for fractures to his limbs and a serious head injury. He was airlifted by the medical helicopter to Sunninghill hospital.

A few of the passengers of the bus were treated for shock and minor injuries.

Metro Police attended to the scene and will be conducting an investigation.

Riana Beech