KwaZulu-Natal’s transport and human settlements MEC Siboniso Duma says the owners of both the heavy-duty truck and the overloaded taxi which were involved in a crash near Isipingo, south of Durban, on Thursday morning will face the law for a number of traffic violations.
Speaking at the site of the crash which claimed 11 lives and left seven others injured at about 7.30am, Duma said premliminary investigations showed the truck driver allegedly swerved into oncoming traffic.
He said:
- -The tyres on the truck were worn, which is illegal. Owners of the truck must face consequences for only focusing on maximising profit and not ensuring the roadworthiness of the truck.
- The taxi driver’s professional driving permit expired in 2023.
- The taxi was overloaded, with 17 or 18 passengers.
He said three injured passengers were taken to Inkosi Albert Luthuli hospital, three others to Prince Mshiyeni hospital in Umlazi, and one was taken to eThekwini hospital.
He said the taxi was en route to Illovo on the south coast when the accident occurred.
Teams would be deployed to help the families of the dead and injured.
Duma also had harsh words for some emergency services who he claimed had “bulldozed” their way on to the crash scene but did not transport injured passengers because they were not on medical aid. He said they “broadcast” videos of the scene, which was insensitive to the families, some of whom were unaware of the tragedy.
He said the department of health’s emergency services worked efficiently to provide the necessary care.
TimesLIVE
