Horrific crash kills 15
As pieces of a mini bus, bags, clothing and the passengers lay scattered across the road everything but a Bible remained intact in the horrific head-on collision last week.
16 people were travelling in the mini bus, 15 were killed in the crash on Friday, January 24 on the R555 Old Ogies Road, near eMalahleni.
The mini bus was travelling from Johannesburg to eMalahleni when the collision occurred just after 16:00, after a thunderstorm had passed through.
13 adults and three children were travelling in the minibus, 15 of the people in the mini bus were strewn across the road, only three people survived the accident.
One passenger from the taxi was treated for her serious injuries, the passenger inside the truck also sustained serious injuries; both were taken to Witbank Provincial Hospital. The driver of the truck transporting wooden poles, Mr Hearty Naowan, sustained minor injuries.
“I was travelling back towards Benoni, I had my lights on as it was over cast. He alleged that he was travelling at about 70km/h. I noticed the minibus that came on my side of the road. I tried to avoid the collision but it was too late,” said a shocked Naowan.
According to reports, safety and security MEC Vusi Shongwe blamed the incident on driver error, and promised to launch a high level investigation.
Many people on the scene described the incident to be the worst incident they had seen.
“In my 20 years in the police service, this is the worst I have seen,” said a distraught Sergeant Marius Etsebeth.
Crime scene experts attended the scene, where various photos and measurements were taken, before the bodies of the deceased could be removed.
More Pathology vans from Middelburg had to come and help collect all the bodies. The last bodies were removed from the wreckage at 20:00.
Police members and paramedics that attended the horrific accident received trauma counselling on Saturday, January 25 due to the nature of this incident.
The exact cause of the incident is not yet known and local authorities will be conducting an investigation into the crash.
Mechanical investigators will be doing tests on the mini bus and truck on Wednesday, January 29 to see if there was any mechanical failure on the vehicles.
The DA extends its deepest sympathies to the families of the 15 people who tragically lost their lives.
