At least 19 people injured in collision between taxi and bakkie

At least 19 people were injured when a taxi and a bakkie collided on the R114 on the outskirts of Centurion south of Pretoria on Saturday morning‚ paramedics said.

ER24 spokesman Russel Meiring said ER24 paramedics‚ along with other services‚ arrived on the scene to find the bakkie on the side of the road while the taxi had come to a stop in the middle of the road.

“The taxi had been completely ripped open in the collision. The occupants from the taxi were found scattered around the scene‚” he said.

“Paramedics assessed the patients and found that two people from the light motor vehicle and 17 from the taxi had been injured. Four people from the taxi had sustained critical injuries while the remaining patients had sustained minor to moderate injuries.

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

The remaining 16 injured were transported by ambulance to nearby hospitals‚ he said.

“The two occupants from the bakkie declined transportation to a hospital.”