Head-on collision leaves three dead‚ six injured

Three people‚ including a two-year-old boy‚ were killed and six others injured on Saturday morning in a head-on collision between two light motor vehicles on the R558 above the N1 Highway in Sebokeng in the Vaal Triangle‚ paramedics said.

ER24 spokesman Russel Meiring said ER24 paramedics‚ along with other services‚ had arrived on the scene to find the two mangled vehicles on the left-hand side of the road. Both vehicles had sustained a considerable amount of damage in the collision.

“Upon closer inspection‚ paramedics discovered the bodies of a woman and two-year-old boy lying trapped in the one light motor vehicle while the body of a man was found lying trapped inside the second vehicle. Unfortunately‚ all three patients had already succumbed to their multiple injuries. Nothing could be done for them and they were declared dead‚” Meiring said.

“Five other patients‚ including a twelve-year-old child‚ were found on the scene. Further assessments showed that their injuries ranged from minor to critical.

“Paramedics treated the patients and provided the critically injured with advanced life support interventions. Once treated‚ the critically injured child was airlifted by the ER24 Oneplan Helicopter to a nearby hospital for urgent treatment‚” Meiring said.

The remaining patients were transported by ambulance to nearby hospitals for further treatment‚ he said.

“It is understood that another child was transported privately to a nearby hospital‚ prior to the arrival of emergency services.

“Rescue services had to use the jaws-of-life equipment to later free the deceased from the vehicles.

“The cause of the collision is not yet known but local authorities were on the scene for further investigations.”