Multiple children injured in early morning taxi crash

TWENTY schoolchildren were injured in two separate school taxi accidents in Durban and Pietermaritzburg just after 07:00 this morning (January 31).

According to ALS Paramedics spokesperson Garrith Jamieson, the ALS Paramedics Medical Services Pietermaritzburg operation arrived on the scene on Maysore Road in Northdale to find that a school transport taxi had lost control and collided with a tree.

“Ten schoolchildren, all under the age of ten, had sustained various injuries, ranging from moderate to critical, and were stabilised on the scene by Advanced Life Support Paramedics before being transported to a nearby Pietermaritzburg hospital for the urgent care that they required,” said Jamieson.

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In the Durban area, on Wiggins Road in Cato Manor, another ten schoolchildren on their way to school were involved in a collision. “Ten children were treated on the scene by Advanced Life Support Paramedics before being transported to a nearby Durban Hospital for the further care that they required,” said Jamieson.

Jamieson went on to mention another incident on the N3 Durban-bound, opposite the Pavillion in Westville, where a ten-car pile-up occurred with one person sustaining moderate injuries.

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“The patient was stabilised on the scene before being transported to a nearby Durban Hospital,” said Jamieson.

“ALS Paramedics would like to urge all motorists to please be cautious on the road and avoid all the roads mentioned [above] as traffic is severely congested. At this stage, the events leading up to the multiple accidents are unknown, however, SAPS were on the scenes and will be investigating further,” said Jamieson.

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