Taxi rollover: 18 people injured, including two children

Several people were injured when the taxi they were traveling in rolled over on the R81 between Tzaneen and Polokwane on Monday 2 January 2023.

Taxi found on its side

At 15:44, ER24 and other services arrived on the scene to find a taxi on its side on the road.

The passengers had already exited the vehicle and were seated around it.

Medics examined the patients and discovered that eighteen of them had minor to moderate injuries. Thankfully, no fatalities were discovered.

The patients were treated before being transferred to various hospitals for further treatment.

Local authorities were on the scene to conduct additional investigations.

What to do on an accident scene

With many accidents occurring on our roads, you might find yourself on the scene of one.

Here is what you can do:

• The safety of accident victims, emergency personnel, and other road users is the most important goal when an accident occurs.
• The first hour following an accident is known as the “Golden Hour,” and doctors say seriously injured car crash victims must receive comprehensive medical care within 60 minutes to have a good chance of survival. This scenario gives rescuers about 12 minutes at the accident scene to extricate the injured and get them to the hospital.
• The accident scene must be secured, and that traffic is warned. This is done with patrol vehicles, blue rotating lights, headlamps, and hazards, among other things.
• Assess the scene from all angles – Take note of the layout of the accident scene and how it may affect your ability to deal with the scene safely.
• Consider the traffic flow at the scene. Is it a risk to you or others, including the casualty?
• If this is the case, can bystanders safely control the traffic flow, or should it be stopped entirely?
• Consider the impact on emergency vehicles trying to reach the scene before stopping traffic.
• If anyone is available, send someone up and down the road to wave down traffic.
• Turn on hazard lights and ignite flares if the accident happened at night to warn oncoming motorists of the danger.
• Consider the positioning of any vehicles involved in the incident and the potential hazards they may pose (such as rolling forwards or backwards). Consider safety – constantly reassess the safety of the scene, especially if you rely on others to keep you safe.
• Turn off all of the vehicles involved in the collision.

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