Teen hurt in Intercape crash
07/01/2008 14:47  - (SA)  

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Holiday makers head home SA roads busier than usual Horror bus crash kills at least 8

Verashni Pillay

Bloemfontein - Two people were injured, one seriously, in an Intercape bus accident in the early hours of Monday morning.

A 19-year-old passenger's head was apparently cut in several places and glass was lodged in his throat and stomach after the double-decker bus allegedly crashed into a truck it was trying to overtake. The bus was en route from Cape Town to Johannesburg.

Jonathan Dalton and his 15-year-old brother, Andrew, were sitting at the front of the top level of the double-decker sleepliner when the accident happened.

A family friend, who did not want to be named, told News24 on Monday that he had put the two brothers on the bus in Cape Town on Sunday evening.

The brothers had been visiting family friends for the holidays and were returning to their parents in Johannesburg.

'Nothing serious'

Intercape spokesperson, Antonette Schoeman, confirmed the accident to News24 on Monday, but added that while two passengers had been injured during the accident, it was "nothing serious".

It was unclear who the second injured passenger was.

"There were no serious injuries," Schoeman said repeatedly. "There are two people who have a few glass cuts but nothing serious."

The family friend, however, insisted to News24 that a clinic in Colesberg, close to where the accident had taken place in Hanover, wouldn't admit the injured teenager as his injuries were "too serious".

"He's not in a critical condition but his injuries are serious," he said. "He swallowed glass and there is glass lodged in his throat and stomach so they'll definitely have to operate."

Dalton was taken to Rosepark Hospital in Bloemfontein.

His father, Patrick Dalton, was on his way to the hospital on Monday afternoon to be with his son.

Schoeman said that Intercape was waiting for the bus camera with footage of the accident to be delivered to determine exactly what had happened. She said all that was known was that a truck had been involved.

According to the brothers, the bus driver misjudged while trying to overtake a truck and smashed into it.

Schoeman said another bus was sent after the accident to take the remaining passengers to Johannesburg.

- News24

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