‘The accidents are suddenly starting to get worse,’ observed Mr Leander Venter, an ER24 paramedic.
At around 20:40 on Monday, a man and woman passed away after their Toyota sedan collided head-on with a white Mercedes-Benz on the R28 behind Hillshaven. There were four other casualties in the crash.
Because the West Rand District Municipality firefighters were on strike, Gladiator Distress Alert had to jump in and cut some of the patients from the wreckage.
Luckily, the strike came to an end on Monday evening and the firefighters can now help at accident scenes again.
Another serious accident took place in the early hours of Monday when a car rolled on the N12 between the Klipdrift Dam and Wedela. Two people were seriously injured and another passenger, a police officer from Wedela, had less serious injuries.
Paramedics also had to rush to an accident on the N12 between Fochville and Potchefstroom at around 19:35 on Monday night. A driver lost control of his car and crashed into trees on the side of the road. As far as could be determined, the casualty is a visitor from Spain,
At around 02:45 on Tuesday morning, three people were injured when the blue Volkswagen in which they were travelling overturned on the R501. ER24 transported two of the patients while the Gauteng Emergency Medical Services evacuated another one from the scene.
‘Drivers should be very careful as this seems to be the start of the ‘silly season’.
This is when one sees an increase in drivers who are speeding and those who drive under the influence of liquor. There is also an increase in single vehicles overturning,’ says Venter.
His advice on how to keep safe is to think for other motorists and be alert to whatever they may do.
‘Make decisions that will keep you and your family safe and do not be in a hurry.
You will eventually reach your destination if you keep safe,’ he said.
Mr Gerrit Bradnick of Gladiator Distress Alert agreed that drivers must be especially vigilant on the roads in the area.
Although it was not an accident, Gladiator personnel had vehicle-related success when they found a man tied up and lying behind the seats of a club cab bakkie at Carletonville Mall on Saturday.
As far as could be determined, the victim had been kidnapped in Khutsong that morning,
A Gladiator car guard initially spotted the vehicle.