Accident victim flown to hospital

A man who was seriously injured in a collision was flown to a Johannesburg hospital by helicopter on Thursday. The collision took place on the N3 close to marker board 66.6 on Monday afternoon. It is alleged that three vehicles were involved, one of which was a heavy motor vehicle.

Two of the vehicles were allegedly travelling northbound when they collided, causing one of them to veer into the southbound carriageway and crash into a truck. The driver sustained serious injuries and was rushed to hospital.

46-year-old Warren James sustained serious head injuries, as well as a broken leg and a punctured lung. He was put on life support and stabilised. His family were contacted and told to “get here now”, so they drove from Johannesburg to be with their loved one. Due to the serious nature of his head injuries, Warren needed to be seen by a specialist at Sandton Clinic.

An ER24 helicopter arrived at the Provincial Hospital on Thursday to fly him to Gauteng. The pilot, Nadia Hasting, who has been flying for 11 years, said the flight would take just under two hours. The patient was accompanied on the flight by two ER24 paramedics who ensured his well-being throughout the journey. He was unconscious at the time.

Warren’s family watched as he was put into the helicopter and flown away. His mother commented that, “They’ve done such a wonderful job here (at the Provincial Hospital), but now he needs to see a specialist.”

Van Reenen police are investigating a case of reckless and negligent driving.