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A PARAMEDIC is in a critical condition and four other men were seriously injured after an ambulance, responding to an accident involving a police car, was itself involved in an accident on Prince George Drive on Thursday.

The driver of an ER24 ambulance apparently lost control of the vehicle and collided with an oncoming bakkie. The ambulance had been responding to an accident involving the Muizenberg police.

Paramedics Cassiem Abrahams of Wynberg and Jason Perreira of Grassy Park, both 28, were severely injured.

Abrahams, whose birthday it was on the day of the accident, is in a critical condition at Vincent Palotti Hospital with Perreira. Leigh Keanly, the driver of the bakkie, is also badly hurt, with injuries to his head and face.

The two Muizenberg policemen suffered minor neck and back injuries. According to Superintendent Jan Meyer, station commissioner of Steenberg Police Station, officers from his station were on the scene shortly after the events unfolded.

Meyer says at about 07:00, the ER24 paramedics lost control of their ambulance. It skidded across the flooded road and catapul?ted over the island at the intersection of Prince George Drive and Military Road, where it smashed into the white Toyota bakkie.

Another ER24 ambulance arrived shortly after in response. Paul Sutton, ER24's local branch manager, says the roads in Prince George Drive were flooded because the drains were blocked, and that this may have caused the accident.

Sutton suggested that the City of Cape Town take responsibility for the flooded roads, but Charles Cooper, the city's media liaison officer, says it is improbable that the city can be held responsible.

Meyer says Steenberg police have opened dockets of reckless and negligent driving against Perreira (the driver of the ambulance) and Keanly. He says this is a standard procedure in accidents when people are severely injured. "The matter will be thoroughly investiga?ted," says Meyer.

The paramedics were responding to an accident in which two Muizenberg police offi?cers were involved after their van rolled near Sunrise Circle in Muizenberg.

According to Sergeant Mary-Ann Naidoo, spokesperson for the Muizenberg Police Station, the officers claim a silver car was dri?ving in front of them and turned abruptly off Prince George Drive without indicating. The driver of the police van then had to swerve sharply to avoid the car, hitting the verge and flipping over.

The police could not recall the type of car and they did not take note of its number plate. A docket of reckless and negligent dri?ving has also been opened against the driver of the police van.

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