A near-fatal truck accident on William Nicol Road on Wednesday (17 June) has caused a public outcry.
Included in the enraged faction is Ward 70 Councillor Dave Dewes, who criticised JMPD spokesperson Wayne Minnaar in the strongest terms.
This came after Minnaar initially said that the truck must have “slipped through during a shift change”. Currently trucks of over five tons are prohibited from using this road. The one involved in the latest accident was an 11 ton truck.
Various posts from the public on social media clearly indicate that the 11 ton truck was not an exception to the rule and that banned trucks often are seen using this road. Dewes has laid the blame for the accident solidly at the feet of JMPD citing as the reason a lack of enforcing the ban.
In the meanwhile Minnaar has taken up the issue with Region C Commander Pule Mogoane. Minnaar says Mogoane has indicated that the matter will be investigated and that law enforcement surrounding the truck ban will be improved.
Minnaar also has clarified his claim of the truck “slipping through during a shift change” by admitting that the ban was enforced only “periodically” but that visible policing and enforcement now will occur regularly.
Could accident have been prevented? — 17 June
Another near-fatal truck accident occurred this morning (18 June) at approximately 10am on Wiliam Nicol Road.
This comes in the wake of a multiple-vehicle accident caused by a runaway truck on the same stretch of road close to a year ago in which four people died. This accident led to trucks of more than five tons being banned on the road.
In today’s accident an 11-ton truck’s brakes failed while going downhill towards Hendrik Potgieter Road. It hit another car and crashed into a barrier. Miraculously the driver of the truck and his passenger only sustained mild injuries despite the fact that one of the men was found underneath the engine. The driver of the motor vehicle was unharmed.
Ward 70 Councillor Dave Dewes was at the scene immediately.
“This accident could have been prevented if the Metro Police enforced the ban properly,” says Dewes.
“The fact that these men have survived the accident and that no one has died is a clear sign we need visible enforcement of the ban on the road. Thus far the 10-plus roll-out has been a failure and this once again proves it. In my ward the 10-plus officers do not even have a vehicle. This is no excuse though. Officers can be dropped off and do foot patrols,” says Dewes.
“Does somebody have to die before they enforce the law? This is my responsibility as well and I will be taking the commander of Region C to task over this,” says a fuming Dewes.
Dewes says that he congratulates the Johannesburg Road Agency’s engineers for the barrier they have erected. It was bent only slightly by the impact and more than likely prevented the accident from turning into a tragedy.
JMPD spokesperson Wayne Minnaar responds to Dewes’ accusations as follows.
“We have statistics that prove that we have enforced the ban. This truck must have slipped through during a shift change,” says Minnaar.
Minnaar says there will be an investigation as to why the truck slipped through, and why the 10-plus officers in Ward 70 do not have a vehicle.
Another truck totaled on William Nicol — 13h00
Despite a devastating previous pile-up, court cases, the promise of fines and signage put up, another truck was totalled on William Nicol Road this morning (18 June).
At around 10am while two men were travelling in an 11-ton truck down William Nicol Road the brakes allegedly failed. The driver steered the truck towards a barrier to force it to a standstill, subsequently crashing into it at the intersection of William Nicol Road and Joseph Lister Street. In the process a Kia vehicle also was damaged.
This happened despite joint efforts by JMPD and JRA to have signs put up at the William Nicol intersection on Ontdekkers Road, prohibiting vehicles heavier than five tons from using the road. These steps were taken after a horrific pile-up in which four people had died in June last year.
The driver of the Kia was not injured in today’s accident, but the two men in the truck sustained minor injuries, paramedics at the scene said. It is up to JMPD to investigate the matter.
Another near fatal truck disaster on William Nicol
Roodepoort experienced another near fatal disaster on William Nicol after the brakes of a heavy truck failed.
According to record reporters on scene, Riaan van Zyl and Mathilde Myburgh, at least one other vehicle is involved but there is said to be no fatalities.
Only the driver of the truck and his passenger sustained minor injuries.
More updates and photos will follow.
