Pedestrian causes mist pile-up

The seven car pile-up on Saturday, April 19 on the highway notorious for mist over the winter months, was described as chaos by JD-Med Emergency Medical Services spokesperson Mr Julius Mashabela who was on the scene.

Mashabela said the accident started with a pedestrian, Mr Mbongiseli Ngebe, who was hit by a car as he crossed the highway at the Ferrobank offramp at about 07:50.

Ngebe, who hails from Vosman said he was on his way to eMalahleni and did not see or hear cars coming when he hurried over the highway. For the oncoming traffic he posed a serious threat.

Ms Koleka Gogela blames Ngebe and the mist for spoiling their Easter weekend church service. She said she was in a Nissan Sentra with her husband, Mandla, who was driving when all of a sudden a man’s silhouette appeared in the middle of the road.

“Mandla tried to avoid the hitting the man, but he could not. After he hit the man he collided with a vehicle from GS4,” Gogela explained.
Mr Philemon Nkele, who driving the G4S vehicle, said he stopped when he saw the pedestrian being knocked down.

“I was still coming to my senses just seeing what happened when the Nissan Sentra hit the company vehicle,” Nkele said.
Mashabela who tended to the pedestrian, the Gogela couple and Nkele said while working on his patients he heard cars crash into one another merely 10 metres away from where they were working.

Mr Mamgwenyane Nkosi from KwaGuqua was also on his way to eMalahleni in his Mercedes Benz when he saw a man lying next to the road.
“I slammed on my brakes and avoided driving over the man. While trying to gather my thoughts I realised that I was still in the road and could cause an accident. But before I could move out of the way, a man driving a Isuzu bakkie crashed into me from behind,” Nkosi said.
Mr Sipho Maseko, who was driving the Isuzu bakkie, said he did not have time to avoid an accident when the Mercedes Benz in front of him suddenly slammed on brakes.

“I tried to move over to the other lane, but in a split second I was on top of the Mercedes Benz,” said Maseko.
Ms Elizabeth Reeds said she was on her way to Middelburg when she realised someone was lying in the road as she neared the accident scene.

“I slowed down and someone showed me where to stop so that I do not drive over the man in the road,” Reed said.
She said she does not remember exactly what happened but felt  someone hit her VW Tiguan from the back.

“I think the person who crashed into me drove off without acknowledging that he drove into my vehicle,” she said.
The drivers of the Toyota Hilux bakkie and Toyota Corolla that were also involved in the accident could not be reached for comment.
Ngebe was taken to Witbank Hospital with a fractured arm and head injuries. He was discharged on Sunday, April 19.

“I am glad I am alive,’ he said with a shaken voice and vowed never to cross a highway in the mist again.
In a separate accident Ms Jackie Naude (58) sustained seven broken ribs and had to be taken to theatre on Saturday afternoon after a truck hit them from behind also on the N4.

“We were on our way to Evander and just turned onto the highway when we encountered the heavy mist. There was nowhere to turn around,” Ms Naude said.
She said her husband, Eugene, reduced speed and put his Corsa bakkie’s lights and hazards on.

“From out of nowhere this huge truck came from behind and nearly drove over us. My husband kept his wits and swerved the bakkie the other way. If he hadn’t done that we would have been killed,” Ms Naude said.

Mr Gerhard Steyn, owner of Wamatha Logistics said he was shocked when he heard about the accident.
“We had an urgent meeting early on Monday morning and put strict measures in place for our drivers as the mist is going to be a huge headache this coming winter,” Steyn said.

He said he is relieved that there were no fatalities and wishes Ms Naude a speedy recovery.