At least 11 lives have been claimed on Eastern Cape roads within a period of 13 hours due to various motor vehicle collisions that have happened around the province.
These happened as follows:
1. On 16 May 2012, at about 14h50, a Colt Bakkie was driven along the N2 from Idutywa to rural areas of Idutywa conveying 15 occupants. About twenty (20) km out of Idutywa, the driver lost control of the vehicle and it overturned killing three (3) passengers instantly and injuring eight (8) passengers. The driver of the bakkie was found to be unlicensed and drunk. He has been taken to the nearby clinic for blood sample, charged and arrested at Idutywa Police Station.
2. Also on the 16 May 2012, at about 15h00, two bakkies collided along the R56 Ugie and three (3) people were seriously injured and taken to Maclear Hospital. They were later transferred to Mthatha hospitals i.e. St Marys and Nelson Mandela Academic hospitals. Two of the patients died hours later and the remaining patient was further transferred to Margate Private Hospital in a critical condition.
3 . On the 17 May 2012 at about 07h20 on N6 between Queenstown and Cathcart at or near Ilenge Junction an Isuzu truck collided front and side with an Ingwe minibus taxi. Four (4) people died instantly and eight (8) were seriously injured and taken to Frontier and Queenstown Private Hospitals respectively.
The deceased were all from Ilinge Location and amongst them, there is a family that lost a boy of +-10 years and his parent. Two more victims died in hospital bringing the total number to six (6) fatalities. Some of the injured were transferred to East London Hospitals.
Forensic experts from Pretoria will visit Queenstown soon to conduct further investigation and the reconstruction of the scene.
