Durban was rocked by a series of severe road accidents on Tuesday, resulting in the deaths of two individuals and serious injuries to two others.
The first major incident occurred around 6:30 PM on the M1 Higginson Highway near Havenside Drive in Chatsworth. Emergency services from ALS Paramedics responded to the crash involving three vehicles. The scene was described as chaotic, with two badly damaged vehicles on the highway and a third vehicle—a bakkie—having veered off the road and ended up on Almond Road below.
Garrith Jamieson from ALS Paramedics reported that a man in his fifties and a woman in her thirties were pronounced dead at the scene. The eThekweni Fire Department was called in to assist with the rescue efforts, as two people were trapped in their vehicle. Firefighters used the Jaws-of-Life and other hydraulic tools to extricate them. The driver of the bakkie, also believed to be in his fifties, was found with severe injuries and could not be saved. The passenger in the bakkie, who sustained serious injuries, was stabilized and then transported to a local hospital.
In the same incident, the female driver of one of the vehicles on the M1 was found with major injuries and unfortunately passed away before paramedics arrived. The driver of the third vehicle involved in the collision escaped without injuries.
Later in the evening, at approximately 11 PM, another serious accident occurred on the M7 near Wakesleigh Road. This crash involved a truck and a car. Emergency services arrived to find the driver of the car, a man in his twenties, critically injured and trapped in his vehicle. Advanced Life Support Paramedics provided immediate care while the Durban Fire Department worked to free him using hydraulic equipment. Once extricated, he was rushed to a nearby hospital for urgent medical treatment. The passenger in the car also suffered serious injuries and was transported to the hospital.
