WATCH: ‘Diving’ bakkie pulled from muddy ‘puddle’
'Extremely windy conditions blew the signage and barriers away, our driver says he just saw a puddle'
AN Akhane bakkie went nose down into a water-filled hole on Wednesday night after the driver mistook it for a huge puddle in the road.
The accident happened on Isando Road in Isando at about 7.30pm.
After spending the night immersed in water, the bakkie was finally pulled out on Thursday morning.
Hugh Bartram, who is yard supervisor at Akhane Construction in Chloorkop, said the stormy weather had been the cause of the accident. “Extremely wet and windy conditions blew the signage and barriers away. Our driver said he just saw a puddle ahead and drove right into it,” explained Bartram.
To escape, the driver, luckily not injured, broke the back window of the vehicle and climbed out. He had just dropped off employees of the company in Germiston and was headed back to the company premises in Chloorkop when the incident occurred.
When Express arrived at the scene this morning, it was clear someone had tried to pull out the bakkie last night but to no avail. Ropes were still tied to the rear end of the vehicle. The same ropes were used when a front end loader was brought in to assist with the operation.
Shortly after the bakkie had been removed from the hole, sirens could be heard approaching along Isando Road. A huge fire truck and ambulance from Ekurhuleni Emergency Services arrived at the scene, apparently notified by someone who thought the accident had just happened. The metro police also arrived minutes later.
According to ward councillor Simon Lapping, he had been complaining about a water leak underneath the road for weeks. The metro had constant excuses of not having equipment available but finally started digging up the road on Wednesday, using shovels and pick axes, he told Express on Wednesday morning.
At the end of the day the hole was left open with the necessary warning signs and barricades to warn motorists.
The recovery operation in pictures
Lapping made his way to the scene of the incident at about 8am on Thursday morning, after receiving a picture of the bakkie on WhatsApp.
“When I arrived there the car was still stuck but there was no driver in sight. I suspect because the pipe was still leaking when the workers knocked off yesterday, the water filled up inside the hole.”
