MBOMBELA – A truck and taxi collided head-on in Middelburg, instantly killing ten people with one survivor sustaining serious injuries.
In KwaZulu-Natal seven people died on the P34 between Dundee and Vryheid when a vehicle collided with a truck while trying to overtake.
“Teams of Raf personnel were immediately dispatched from the organisation’s Pretoria and Durban offices when the news of the accidents first broke; contact has already been made with police and relevant hospitals to begin processing the necessary compensation, medical support and funeral benefit for those who qualify,” said Dr Eugene Watson, Raf chief executive officer.
The Raf teams will continue consultations with the grieving families after the funerals, to originate claims for loss of support for the surviving dependents and qualifying heads of damages for the injured as stipulated in the Raf Act.
“As the Raf family we are in pain following these sad incidents, as is the case with other accidents that cause the needless death of road users. However, we will do everything in our power to ease the emotional and financial burden. Road safety is a shared responsibility for all concerned, and greater urgency is required to tackle the spate of accidents in the country. As we stress in our ongoing #myroadyourroad campaign, think of others before yourself when you’re on the road. All road users, drivers, passengers and pedestrians are asked to implement unselfish road practices” says Watson.
Raf’s services are easily accessible at the regional offices located in Pretoria, Johannesburg, Durban, East London and Cape Town, including the over 100 Hospital Service Centres scattered throughout the country. More information about the addresses and contact numbers of these offices can be accessed on www.raf.co.za.
