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When a Bus Went Wild in Glenwood: University Students, Speeding Worries, and a Collapsed Wall
It was a Monday afternoon in Glenwood when the familiar rumble of a campus bus turned into a moment nobody wants to live through again. A speeding bus, packed with university students making their way home from Howard College, lost control on Rick Turner Road. It smashed into a vehicle, and the aftermath saw a boundary wall collapse, leaving 23 shaken students with varying injuries and an entire neighbourhood reeling.
A Community’s Cry, Ignored Too Long
Less than three weeks earlier, residents were already on high alert. They had written to the bus company to complain about speeding along Rick Turner Road. “We have correspondence,” says Calvin Thomas, chairperson of the Umbilo CPF. “The speed limit here is 60 kilometres per hour, yet some drivers treat it like a racetrack.” Despite repeated pleas, no traffic calming measures followed.
@caxtonlocalmedia 23 people injured after a speeding bus lost control on Rick Turner Road and crashed into a bakkie, pushing it through a boundary wall. Residents say they warned about this weeks ago. #BereaMail #CaxtonDurban #RickTurnerRoad #CampusBusCrash #DurbanNews ♬ original sound – caxtonlocalmedia
Seconds That Cost More Than Steel
Witnesses said the bus was barreling down the street when it couldn’t stop in time. It ploughed into a VW sedan, shoving it into a boundary wall. That wall, part of a home where no one was present at the time, came crashing down. Andrew Smith, whose property was affected, was out fetching his child. “I’m grateful no one was inside,” he says, still visibly shaken.
ALS paramedics reported that 23 students had been hurt. Some had minor injuries; others were more seriously affected, hospital-bound across multiple eThekwini facilities. The city’s emergency services, including fire rescue and Metro officers, were on site, and the road remained closed into the late afternoon.
Social Media, Local Outrage
Online, the video spread faster than the crash itself. In minutes, alerts went out on WhatsApp groups and X. “Why did we have to wait until blood was spilled?” a user asked. “They’ve been warning the company for weeks.” Another added, “Rick Turner isn’t safe; who will listen before someone dies?”
The accident reopened a question that many in Joburg and beyond are asking louder than ever: whose streets are we prioritising, and who gets to drive them?
A Wider Lens: Why This Matters
This isn’t just another traffic tale; it speaks to trust, accountability, and the invisible cost of inaction. When residents warn about danger and the people responsible for public safety turn deaf, accidents are no longer just probable; they’re inevitable.
If this were Parkview or Maboneng instead of Glenwood, would we still shrug when voices in the neighbourhood say, “It’s a dangerous spot; someone will get hurt”? We’d probably pave the road with speed bumps by Tuesday.
Time for Change
Residents are calling on authorities and the bus company to install traffic calming measures, enforce consistent speed limits, and improve dialogue between operators and communities. Until that happens, the risk remains: school runs, student shuttles, and daily commuters, all locked in a race with gravity and inattention.
Also read: Long Night in Parliament: Mkhwanazi Inquiry Committee Battles Over Terms of Reference
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Source: The Citizen
Featured Image: Freepik
