TWO construction workers were killed after they were hit by a vehicle on John Zikhali (Sydenham) Road on Friday afternoon.
The two construction workers were sitting in the large island in the middle of John Zikhali Road when a van hit into them in a multi-vehicle collision involving four vehicles on either side of the island.
One of the surviving construction workers sat on a tow truck at the scene, holding her head in her hands with tears pouring down her face, after she realised that a second colleague she was sitting and having lunch with on the island moments earlier had been declared dead. Emergency personnel told Berea Mail that a third patient was critically injured.
Garrith Jamieson, operations director for Rescue Care paramedics said there was “total chaos” when they arrived on the scene. “The four road workers were in the centre island in the centre median when a vehicle collided into them and three other vehicles. Paramedics found that two of the workers were stuck under one of the vehicles. Unfortunately, two workers had sustained fatal injuries and were declared deceased,” he said.
Advanced Life Support paramedics from Rescue Care and ER24 worked frantically to stabilise a critically injured worker and placed her on a ventilator on the scene. Once she had been stabilised the woman was rushed through to Chief Albert Inkosi Luthuli Hospital for further care.
Jamieson added, “There was also a school transport vehicle involved and eight young children sustained minor injuries. A further 13 people from all the vehicles were treated on scene before being transported to various Durban Hospitals.”
The incident occurred near two schools, Orient Islamic school and St Augustine’s just as the schools closed for the weekend. Parents and school teachers had to ensure curious pupils were removed from the scene as paramedics and police worked.
Jamieson said it was unclear what caused the collision however the SAPS Collision Unit and Berea SAPS was on scene and a culpable homicide investigation is underway.
