The corner of Walter Sizulu Street and Diedericks Street became an accident scene and then a crime scene when the two people involved told police contradicting stories about what had happened.
The on duty police officers were called out to the intersection at about 13:00 on February 2 after they received the call from one of the drivers who called the police. No one was injured but when police inspected the collision between the Toyota Corolla and the VW Golf and received contradicting information it soon became an investigation into a possible reckless and negligent driving case.
Apparently the woman who called the police was driving the Golf. She was allegedly halfway across the intersection when the driver of the Corolla crashed into her. She claims that the robot was green for her and definitely red for the other driver who apparently skipped the light. Further more he allegedly pleaded with her not to call the police but she turned down his offer to resolve the matter without involving the police and contacted them anyway.
Apparently the drive of the Corolla said that it was in fact the opposite and the light was green for him. The Witbank SAPS is investigating a case of negligent driving.
According to a study done by Arrive Alive.co.za which lists the most common cause of accidents in the city,
“Studies show that two of the most common reasons for intersection collisions are driver negligence and recklessness. Running a red light together with ignoring the yield and stop signs are the most common causes of crashes in city traffic.”
The article also gives some helpful information on avoiding collisions at intersections such as driving defensively, anticipating problems and situations with heightened caution and attention during congested traffic times such as rush hour. As well as to be patient – Impatience increases emotions and decreases attention. The third thing to do is to always wear your seatbelt and insist that everyone in your vehicle wears theirs too.
