It was confirmed by Emer-G-Med personnel that the taxi accident on the N1 North after the Malibongwe Drive off-ramp this afternoon had a total of 15 injured passengers.
According to Emer-G-Med spokesperson, Max Cohen, at around 2pm, a motorist approached an Emer-G-Med ambulance, which was standing by at a petrol station just off the highway, and informed them of the collision.
Emer-G-Med’s A01, with an on-board Advanced Life Support paramedic, was the first emergency vehicle to arrive on the scene and found the badly damaged taxi lying in the middle of the highway. The passengers, most of whom had been ejected from the rolling vehicle, were found lying scattered across the highway, having sustained injuries ranging from minor to moderate.
There were seven patients who sustained moderate to serious injuries who required advanced life support intervention.
The 15 patients were triaged and treated on the scene before being transported to a number of nearby medical facilities for further treatment by various ambulance services.
Cohen said, it was reported by passengers that the driver was speeding on the highway and that the passengers had asked the driver to slow down but the driver had refused. One of the taxi’s tyres then burst, the driver lost control and rolled the vehicle.
Metro Police were on the scene to investigate and have opened a case of reckless and negligent driving against the taxi driver who fled the scene.
