|
Massive collision on N3 in KZN
09/01/2008 15:12 - (SA)
Durban - Police are investigating the circumstances surrounding a massive collision involving four trucks, four cars and two buses that took place on Tuesday night in KwaZulu-Natal, police said on Wednesday.
Captain Charmaine Struwig said: "Fortunately there were no deaths but many people were seriously injured".
The incident took place on a winding section of the N3 freeway at Van Reenen's Pass at 23:20.
"Two trucks were travelling towards Johannesburg when one truck collided into the rear of the other...and while emergency personnel and towing vehicles were busy clearing up the scene, a secondary collision took place," said Struwig.
"A bus travelling towards Durban collided into a Toyota Tazz in the oncoming lane ...the Tazz then veered across the road and collided into towing vehicles and an ambulance," she said.
Struwig said a second bus followed by a truck then collided into the other stationary vehicles at the accident scene.
"At the time, it was rainy and misty... and the freeway was closed for three hours," she said.
The driver of the Tazz, three bus passengers and several other people were seriously injured and were rushed to hospital.
Struwig said an investigation into the case had started and added that someone needed to be held accountable for the collisions.
She said the only way motorists were going to learn about driving slowly was if police started handing down harsh penalties on those who ignored the rules of the road.
"There could have been a lot of fatalities in an accident like this but we were lucky this time," she said.
- SAPA
|