School children in a taxi on their way to school ended up in hospital after the vehicle veered off the road and crashed into a nearby house.
The accident happened on Bafflesdraai Road in Redcliffe, north of Durban, on Tuesday, 26 May. Nine pupils were injured and rushed to hospital.
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Resident Dumisani Cele said the driver was speeding and lost control, causing the taxi to crash into the house.
“I was on the road when I saw the taxi coming down at high speed. I got worried because I did notice there were pupils inside.
“The next thing, I heard a big noise. The taxi had crashed into a house. It didn’t damage the house that much, and the pupils who were inside were only injured. No one died,” said Dumisani.
Reaction Unit South Africa (RUSA) spokesman Prem Balram said members were sent to the scene after reports of a car accident.
“On arrival, officers discovered that the vehicle had veered off the roadway before crashing into a residential property within an informal settlement. The impact caused extensive damage to both the vehicle and the home.
“Two windows were shattered, burglar bars were bent outward and a concrete boundary wall was damaged. Vehicle parts and debris were scattered across the scene,” he said.
Balram said it was established that approximately nine kids aged between seven and nine were in the vehicle at the time of the collision.
“They were privately transported to Redcliffe Clinic for medical assessment before the arrival of first responders. The vehicle was extensively damaged.”
“The front section was crushed, the roof caved in and the passenger side panels were ripped off. The driver’s door detached completely during the collision. The driver was also allegedly injured and was not on the scene,” he said.
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KZN police spokesman Sergeant Thenjiswa Ngcobo confirmed that police in Verulam arrested a 59-year-old man for operating a public transport vehicle without a route permit.
He’ll appear in the Verulam Magistrates Court soon.
