Suspected drunk driver disappears after accident on the John Ross Parkway
The man caused a secondary accident, injuring emergency services personnel working on the scene of the initial accident
A RELATIVELY minor accident on the John Ross Parkway on Sunday led to a more serious one as a passing motorist ploughed into emergency service workers on the scene.
The initial accident involving two vehicles occurred at about 5am at the Alton traffic lights.
While City of uMhlathuze Fire and Rescue officers were attending to the scene and Mounties Ambulance and Emergency Service paramedics treated the minor injuries, a motorist in a Mercedes Benz C180 slammed head-on into the Toyota Yaris involved in the initial accident, and hit four firefighters and one of the paramedics.
‘The Mercedes driver approached the intersection at high speed and, after hitting the Yaris, slid sideways into the firemen and paramedic,’ said City of uMhlathuze spokesperson Mdu Ncalane.
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All four firefighters were taken to hospital while the paramedic sustained only soft tissue injuries and immediately began attending to the firemen.
Two firemen sustained serious injuries, while the others only had minor injuries.
‘Station Officer Sanjivi was admitted to high care with a head injury, Junior Fireman Luthuli, a temporary firefighter, sustained a possible leg and ankle fracture and a head injury resulting in temporary memory loss, Senior Fireman Mdletshe sustained minor contusions on his left arm and Fireman Dubazane sustained a bruise to her head,’ said Ncalane.
The Mercedes driver, who appeared to be drunk, was, according to an eyewitness, placed on a drip by KZN EMS paramedics although he had not sustained any injuries.
The ambulance driver left the scene and reportedly told officials he would transport the Mercedes driver to Ngwelezana Hospital.
uMhlathuze traffic police found a cooler box containing alcohol in the Mercedes and officers rushed to Ngwelezana, but was told the KZN EMS ambulance had transported the driver to Melomed Hospital.
There the police discovered that the man had disappeared after filling out hospital admission forms.
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