A Golden Arrow bus driver is fighting for his life in hospital after he allegedly lost control of the vehicle and crashed into Bosmansdam Bridge on the N7 early today, causing traffic congestion for almost two hours.
According to Golden Arrow spokesperson Bronwyn Dyke-Beyer, the driver was travelling alone from Killarney to Nyanga at the time, and no other vehicles were involved.
“Our driver was en route from Killarney to Nyanga when he seemingly lost control of the vehicle and collided into the bridge. No other vehicles were involved, and no passengers were on board the bus. At this stage he is in a critical condition and is receiving emergency medical attention. The cause of the accident is not yet known,” said Dyke-Beyer.
It has been reported that the driver suffered severe head injuries.
ER24 spokesperson Ineke van Huyssteen explained: “When ER24 paramedics arrived at the scene, they found the bus off the roadway and with extensive damage to its front. The bus driver was found lying on the ground outside of the bus. Upon further assessment, he was found to have sustained serious injuries. ER24 paramedics administered advanced life support interventions before transporting him to the hospital for further medical care.”
Kevin Jacobs, spokesperson for Traffic Service, said officers arrived on scene at about 8am and found the bus under the bridge. He said the scene was handed to SAPS. “This is a provincial bridge and their engineers are on scene,” he said.
The accident happened just hours after another tragic head-on collision on Marine Drive in Blaauwberg. Two cars were involved, seriously injuring two people who had to be airlifted.
“The two seriously injured patients were treated on scene by emergency care practitioners.
“Due to the nature of their injuries, a Netcare 911 helicopter air ambulance as well as the Air Mercy Services helicopter were activated to airlift the patients to hospital for further care. The three other patients were treated on scene and once stabilised were transported by ambulance to hospital.
“The Western Cape department of health EMS (Emergency Medical Services) as well as Western Cape Metro Rescue and the fire and rescue services used hydraulic tools to free the occupants trapped in the cars,” said Shawn Herbst, Netcare 911 spokesperson.