The car was submerged in the river within minutes. Image: EMR 24-Ebersohn Emergency Medical Services
Car loses control, lands in river after driving into a puddle
A driver was lucky to escape unharmed after he lost control of his car when he hit a puddle and landed in a river
The car was submerged in the river within minutes. Image: EMR 24-Ebersohn Emergency Medical Services
A driver escaped unscathed when his car plummeted into a river and became fully submerged within minutes on the N12 on 11 February.
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Driver hits puddle, lands in river
According to reports, the driver of a light motor vehicle was traveling toward Stilfontein when he drove into a puddle.
He then lost control and veered off the road into the river.
The driver was fortunate to escape the vehicle unharmed.
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Quickly, the vehicle became fully submerged.
911 Towing arrived at the scene and successfully recovered the vehicle.
ALSO READ: The body of a man was recovered a day after it was swept away by the Apies River
What to do at 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.
- Consider the traffic flow at the scene. Is it a risk to you or others, including the casualty?
- Consider the impact on emergency vehicles trying to reach the scene before stopping traffic.
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- If anyone is available, send someone up and down the road to wave down traffic.
- Turn on hazard lights and ignite flares if the incident 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.
