A tragic head-on collision between an ambulance and a horse-and-trailer truck claimed the life of a patient and left two others seriously injured. The accident occurred on Thursday, 21 November, on the N6 road, near the Kwetyana location just outside East London in the Eastern Cape.
The Department of Transport confirmed that the ambulance was transporting three patients when the crash took place. Makhaya Komisa, a spokesperson for the department, explained that the truck, a Volvo 520, was traveling behind the ambulance when the collision occurred. According to the truck driver, the ambulance signaled to the left and then made an abrupt U-turn as the truck was passing on the right-hand side, resulting in the crash on the oncoming lane.
The patient being transported in the ambulance was declared dead at the scene, while the driver and a female passenger sustained serious injuries. Both were trapped in the wreckage and had to be extricated using the Jaws of Life before being rushed to the hospital for treatment. The identities of the victims have not yet been disclosed.
Transport MEC Xolile Nqatha expressed his condolences to the family of the deceased and wished the injured a speedy recovery. He reminded motorists to adhere to road safety rules and remain vigilant at all times. Eastern Cape Health MEC Ntandokazi Capa also expressed shock at the fatal accident and offered her heartfelt sympathies to the patient’s family. “It’s never easy to lose a loved one, especially under such tragic circumstances,” she said.
The cause of the accident is under investigation, with police spokeswoman Lieutenant-Colonel Siphokazi Mawisa confirming that a case of culpable homicide is being looked into. The investigation will determine the exact circumstances leading to this heartbreaking incident.
