Taxi driver praised for escaping crash
2013-03-20 13:07
Mlondi Radebe, The Witness
Pietermaritzburg - Minibus taxi driver Ndumiso Zondi
received hugs from his passengers after his reflexes ensured they all escaped
unscathed from an accident involving nine vehicles on Tuesday.
Zondi, 35, was on his regular morning trip, taking department
of homes affairs staff to New Hanover, past Copesville along the R33 (New
Greytown Road), when a bakkie travelling ahead of him veered out of control.
His passengers braced themselves for the worst, but were too
terrified to scream. Zondi swerved as he watched the out-of-control bakkie
crash into other vehicles ahead of him.
Tears and hugs
His taxi tangled with the bakkie, but Zondi managed to avoid
the worst of the collision and all his passengers got off safely.
“I noticed the tyre burst on the bakkie. Then it collided
with other traffic and then our taxi as I was swerving off the road. I don’t
know how I managed to save our lives,” he said.
Passenger Xolani Ngema was in shock after the accident.
“It happened very quickly. We could not even scream as we
were scared and shocked at what was happening to us. After the taxi stopped, we
all realised that we were safe and got out. We cried and hugged the driver for
saving our lives,” he said.
Other motorists and passengers were not so lucky.
Twenty people were injured and taken to hospitals in the
city following the pile-up involving two taxis, two cars and five bakkies.
ER24 spokesperson Derrick Banks said four people sustained
serious injuries.
The accident led to the closure of the road for about two
hours in morning rush-hour traffic, which was rerouted through Raisethorpe.
Local resident Sibusiso Dube said he heard bangs as the
vehicles crashed into one another.
Speed humps
He called for speed humps to be installed in the area.
Taxi owner Nkosinathi Malimela agreed that speed-calming
measures were necessary on that stretch of road.
Police spokesperson Joey Jeevan said preliminary
investigations indicated that a bakkie travelling towards Greytown had a tyre
blow-out.
She said a case of reckless and/or negligent driving was
being investigated.
In September 2011, a minibus taxi collided with a truck near
the scene of Tuesday's accident, claiming 15 lives. Taxi driver Khululeka Gwala
was charged with murder. He goes on trial in the high court in May.
