Head on with Taylor

(17h30) On Friday afternoon two vehicles collided head on in Taylor road. According to the driver of the red Mazda, a silver colored Golf turned in front of him to enter the "Princess Groot Bome Nursery" when he collided with the vehicle.

The driver in his 30's of the Mazda sustained back and neck injuries, he was transported to the Helen Joseph hospital and the female driver believed to be in her 20's was transported with chest injuries -in a stable condition - to the Wilgeheuwel Hospital.

According to an elderly man at the nursery, accidents are a common sight on the corners of Taylor and Zeiss. "People misjudge the intersection and they turn in front of each other."

A bystander went to pick up the man's nine year old child and brought him to the scene. Paramedics comforted the boy and made sure that he understands what's happening on scene. Paramedics quickly learned that he is afraid of ambulances due to a bad experience in the past. The injured man said he is grateful that he dropped his son at home and left the home by himself, usually his son would ride with him.

ER24 paramedics will visit the boys' school next week and show the kids the ambulance.

Land Rover Pushed by Taxi

A 32 year old man was injured on Saturday morning on Main Road in Bryanston. According to the driver of the Land Rover, he was traveling on Main road towards Randburg, just after the Grovener intesrection when a taxi pushed him from behind.

The man could not say what the motives were and the taxi collided with the left rear of his vehicle. He then lost control over his vehicle and hit the side of the road, whereafter the vehicle overturned several times. The vehicle came to a standstill in the middle of the road on it's roof.

The roof of the Land Rover is completely smashed in and the patient is lucky to have sustained only minor injuries.

When paramedics arrived on scene the man was sitting outside his Land Rover. He fortunately sustained minor injuries and was transported by ambulance to the Sandton Medi Clinic.

The taxi fled the scene.

Four Critical after Bike Crash on Highway

Three people are in a critical condition in the Milpark Hospital after a motorbike plunged through a demarcated area where road maintenance services were working.

At approximately 10h00 this morning a 30 year old biker misjudged a bend on the M1 highway just before the Jo Slovo off ramp and failed to see the demarcated area where road workers were busy working. The motorbike plunged through the stand up cones and sign posts and crashed into two of the road workers.

Three of the road workers, two of them - aged 56 and 28, were busy in the fast lane of the highway (north) to repair barriers that had to be changed due to previous motor accidents causing damage to them and general maintenance.

The bike scrambled through the cones and the workers' equipment and collided with the three workers. Three of the workers sustained severe injuries and was thrown some metres from the the scene. They have sustained numerous injuries. The one worker sustained long bone fractures and burn wounds on his face and legs.

The 30 year old male biker also sustained severe injuries and was found numerous metres from his bike. He sustained possible head and neck injuries.

The workers were shocked at what happened. About 10 other workers were lucky to escape the incident with no injuries.

The road was closed after the incident for clean up and it was not sure if the road works will continue today.

The roads are being upgraded and general maintenance is a daily sight. Due the the World Cup Soccer in 2010, road works will be higher now to ensure adequate and quality roads, therefore ER24 Emergency Services urge the public to take caution on major roads. Road works take place especially during night times and over weekends. We have serviced numerous call outs where cars plunged into road workers while working on the highway. They use sufficient information and demarcation equipment, but still the public crashes into them.

The slow and middle lane was re-opened approximately an hour and a half later.

Four killed in early morning accident

Four people have been killed in an early morning horror accident on the N1 before the 14th Avenue off ramp in Flora Cliff.

According to a bystander on scene, the burgundy VW Jetta was overtaking another vehicle on the highway whilst traveling towards Beyers Naude. It is believed that the vehicle lost control and plowed into the barrier. It appears that the vehicle skidded along the barrier on the N1 and wrapped itself around a huge steel information post.

The vehicle was almost folded in half. When paramedics arrived on scene, they found two of the occupants outside the vehicle. One of the occupants was thrown almost twenty meters away from the incident towards Hendrik Potgieter and laid next to Hendrik Potgieter road. Another occupant was lying next to the wreck. Both occupants that were ejected sustained massive head injuries.

Another two occupants were also killed and were still entangled in the mangled wreck when paramedics arrived. Access was gained and they were found also to be dead. All of the occupants were believed to have been killed instantly.

Some of the occupants were identified on their Mozambican Passports. All of the occupants are believed to be in their 20’s.

Traffic was slow on Hendrik Potgieter towards JHB CBD and N1 slow direction Beyers Naude.

Young burn victim loses both legs after house fire

At approximately 09h30 on Wed 14 February, a grandmother and grandson were trapped inside their house while it was burning. It is believed that an electrical fault caused the fire which gutted the house. The Vanderbijlpark fire department and ER24 paramedics arrived quickly on the scene to find the two occupants still inside the house.

The fireman fought their way through the flames and pulled the lady and child out of the house.

When paramedics arrived on scene the house was well alight. It is amazing that they both came out of the house alive.

Both sustained critical burns, the 5 year old boy also sustained serious inhalation burns to the lungs. The boy was treated by ER24 paramedics and airlifted to the Baragwaneth burns unit for further treatment.

ER24 branch manager Gareth Staley would like to thank the members of the public for their excellent assistance on the scene, especially the fireman for their unselfish act to rescue the occupants of the house.

Streaker on 14th (Valentine?)

About 07h30 on 14 February 2007, people – most of them women – arrived at the ER24 base at the Flora Clinic to ask for unusual assistance. We were informed of a young man running in front of cars and up and won the road naked. Paramedics turned out to the corners of 14th Avenue and William Nicol, where the base is situated and the streaker was running up and down.

Indeed the paramedics found a young man, believed to be a security guard and 20 years of age, naked in the street. At that moment the public saw red, not because of trouble or Valentine’s, but ER24 paramedics running after the man trying to catch him. It took almost five medics to finally catch up with him and the security guards from SPE security joined us.

The man was then taken to the side of the road, where his clothes were and quickly dressed.

Upon enquiring why he was doing what he did, he started screaming and then singing. He was assessed by paramedics and then transported by the Roodepoort Police Dog Unit to the station.

The man had a security uniform with him from a private company and a couple of business cards. The employer was contacted and informed us that he – the streaker – ran away from the site where he was working almost three weeks ago. He never returned to work. The employer said he was employed at one of his Potchefstroom branches.

The man sustained no injuries. Traffic was slow in the intersection due to all the onlookers.

Construction worker falls 2 floors

A construction worker is in a serious condition after concrete slabs fell on him at a construction site on the corners of CR Swart and Ontdekkers road in Helderkruin this afternoon. The 45 year old construction worker was walking up the stairs on the second floor when it gave way and he fell down to the first floor, with the concrete slabs on top of him.

ER24 paramedics struggled to remove the entrapped worker from the slabs and had to call in an extra ambulance and response vehicle to assist. Soon ER24 and all of the construction workers joint forces to lift the slabs from the trapped patient. One of the concrete slabs – according to the workers – weighs approximately 20 – 30 kg. Paramedics removed twelve slabs from him. He was removed from underneath the slabs about 45 minutes later. He sustained severe pelvic and lower limb injuries. Paramedics stabilized him on scene and he was transported rapidly to the Leratong Hospital for further medical management.

Some of the other construction workers said that this is the first time something like this happens on their site and they do not know what went wrong. The site is soon to be a luxury block of flats.

Hendrik Potgieter and Doreen Claims yet another

A horrific accident occurred on 10 February 2007 at approximately 21h00 on the corners of Hendrik Potgieter and Doreen Road in Ruimsig.

A white Land Rover crashed into a black Conquest ripping it to pieces. The impact was so great that the vehicle was torn open and some of the occupants were flung from the vehicle. The Land Rover collided on the left side of the Conquest.

Paramedics raced to the scene and found a horrific sight. A young man believed to be in his 20's was killed instantly in the collision. Another 18 and 19 year old teenager girl was also injured. A man, also believed to be in his 20's, was found lying outside the vehicle, he sustained severe injuries and was transported by ER24 to Flora Clinic Life Hospital.

The two girls were walking around on scene, shocked and traumatized about what had happened. They were immediately assessed by paramedics. They escaped this horror crash with only minor injuries. NetCare911's chaplain was called for much needed counseling. NetCare declared the man dead on scene.

Shortly after paramedics arrived on scene, family members flocked to the scene with tears in their eyes. They were severely traumatized.

The friends and family in the Conquest were on their way back home after they attended a 21st birthday party.

The 39 year old driver of the Land Rover escaped without any injuries. He was traveling on Hendrik Potgieter in Krugersdorp direction when the incident occurred. He was clearly also in shock.

The SAPS and Fire Department cordoned the area off. Johannesburg Metro Police Department will be investigating the accident.

PT Cruiser Closes Highway

The M1 Highway at the Athol Oakland’s turn off was closed this evening at approximately 18h00 due to a motor vehicle accident. A black PT Cruiser lost control and overtuned several times before it came to a stand still in the fast lane of the highway.

According to bystanders the Cruiser swerved across the highway long before it overturned. A 39 year old man was slightly injured and assessed by paramedics on scene.

Due to the severity of the accident the highway had to be closed and only the emergency lane was open for commuters. The road was covered in oil and debris from the vehicle. Fortunately no other vehicles were involved.

The highway was re-opened about an hour later.

Road Rage - One Critical, Two Arrested

Two vehicles were traveling in Diagonal Street in a southern direction and stopped at a robot on the corners of Diagonal and 5th roads. The two vehicles were a Champaign colored Pajero and a green Alfa. Three gentlemen got out of the Alfa as well as two men from the Pajero – believed to be in their 30’s.

They all pursued in what looked like an argument. One of the men from the Alfa ran to the back of the Pajero. The witness explained that one of the men from the Alfa had a gun with him when he got out of his vehicle. The gunmen fired a shot at the driver of the Pajero – he was shot in his right hand. The passenger of the Pajero tried to rescue the driver and two more shots were fired. This time the driver was hit in his stomach. Both the driver and the passenger ran back to their vehicle –whilst injured. He doesn’t know why they started shooting, but there was a clear argument going at the time.

The gunmen fired several shots at the Pajero. Both the Pajero and the Alfa stopped again in a veldt next to Diagonal Street. One of the passengers of the Alfa – who was involved in the incident, was attacked by bystanders with a brick. The South African Police Service and Metro Police arrived on scene. Two of the suspects were arrested on scene, including the injured suspect. He was treated on scene and transported under police guard to the Baragwaneth Hospital. He is in a stable condition.

The third suspect got away on foot. Police are still searching for him. Both the suspects will be taken to the Booysens Police Station.

The gentleman that was shot in the stomach and hand was transported by his passenger to a nearby hospital in the Pajero. The eyewitness said that there was a lot of blood and he didn’t look well.

The South African Police Service recovered a 9mm pistol on scene. They confirmed that shots were fired and that someone was critically injured.

Jaguar split Golf in Two - Burst into Flames

A serious and horrific accident occurred on Beyers Naude at the intersection of Jim Fouche on the West Rand. This accident occurred at approximately 22h35 on 8 February 2007.

The driver of the Jaguar said he was traveling on Beyers Naude direction Honeydew when a dark colored Golf allegedly turned in front of him on the Jim Fouche corners. The driver –believed to be in his 30’s – said there was no way he could have avoided the accident. He collided with the Golf.

The impact was so great that it ripped the Golf into pieces and his Jaguar caught a light. He escaped with only minor cuts on his arms and face.

The female driver of the Golf was treated by ER24 paramedics and transported by ER24 to the Life Flora Clinic Hospital. She is in a stable, but critical condition. She sustained multiple injuries.

The fire department had to use the jaws-of-life and hydraulic equipment to rescue her from the wreck. It took over an hour to free her from her car.

JMPD will be investigating the scene.

The area was closed off and the Fire Department attended to the scene.

Changing a Tyre Result in Serious Injury

Central Durban: Smith Street played host to an unfortunate and unforeseeable accident early on Saturday evening. A man (43) had returned to his vehicle from work to find his front right wheel was flat. According to bystanders on the scene, the man was attempting to change his tyre when he was struck down by a callously speeding taxi driver who obviously had a flagrant disregard for human life. Bystanders claim that the taxi had been speeding and driving recklessly. According to Metro police, the taxi driver had fled the scene, after seeing the severity of the man’s injuries. The patient was pulled from the street by members of the public, who witnessed the tragic accident. The man, who sustained serious spinal and head injuries, was stabilized by ER24 paramedics on the scene. He was taken by ambulance to Addington hospital where he is currently in a serious but stable condition.

Concrete blocks used for Hijackings

Whilst responding to a serious motor vehicle accident on the N2 near Nandi drive offramp, paramedics & police came across large pieces of concrete lying in the middle and fast lanes of the northbound carriageway. When police went to investigate the nature and cause of these blocks, they found that they had been purposefully dropped from the bridge above. These blocks were large enough to cause severe damage to a vehicle, either causing a serious accident, or causing enough damage to cause the driver to pull over to the side of the highway.

This is when hijackers and robbers strike, while the drivers are incapacitated or inspecting their vehicles for damage. The scene was investigated by SAPS station commander Burjalal who was on his way home. His vehicle, along with several others had been disabled by large pieces of concrete which had been placed in the road. According to the station commander, the area in question is a hot spot for vehicle hijackings and a common tactic employed by hijackers is placing large pieces of debris in the roadway.

Further up the highway, at the next offramp (M25 KwaMashu), is another well known hijacking hotspot with up to 4 hijackings being recorded a day. SAPS have posted response units at the busy intersections during peak periods which have done well to curb the amount of hijackings.

Three Medics in Crash

Three paramedics from ER24 are in a stable condition after they have been involved in a motor vehicle accident. The paramedics were on their way to a motor bike accident in Dorandia, Pretoria when a vehicle collided with them.

They were all transported through to the Kloof Medi Clinic for further medical management. The accident occurred at approximately 19h45 on 8 February 2007.

All the paramedics were assessed at the hospital and discharged at approximately 23h00. They are most fortunate to have only sustained soft tissue injuries. Families of the paramedics gathered at the hospital. The families were relieved when the paramedics arrived at the hospital with only minor injuries.

Another ambulance was dispatched to the motor bike accident. This patient was then transported in a stable condition to a nearby hospital.

The accident will be investigated.

Lunch Hour Chaos

ER24 attended to an accident this afternoon at approximately 12h10 on the corners of Grayston drive and Helen Road in Strathavon, Sandton.

According to two eyewitnesses on scene the Bantam bakkie allegedly skipped a red robot whilst traveling on Grayston drive in an eastern direction. A white Corolla was in the intersection of Helen Street when the it collided on the side of the bakkie.

It is believed that the male driver of the bakkie then lost control over his vehicle and rolled several times. One of the witnesses said, she thought the bakkie is never going to stop rolling. According to her the bakkie rolled more than five times before it came to a standstill in the middle of Grayston Drive on its side.

A female driver (believed to be in her 30’s) of the Corolla sustained minor injuries and was transported by Provincial Services to the Sandton Medi Clinic for further treatment. The male driver of the bakkie remarkably sustained no injuries. He was assessed by paramedics on scene, but was found to be unscathed.

The accident caused major chaos on the road in all the directions. Grayston drive was closed of by authorities in the direction of the M1 (East). All the traffic was re-routed through the residential area of Strathavon. This caused a back log of traffic from Rivonia road. The reason for the closure was to ensure safety of Emergency Personnel and the patients on scene.

Traffic has also backed up from the M1 on ramp to Grayston Drive.

The road was only re-opened after almost an hour.