A Slippery Peril: KZN’s Roads Turn Treacherous as Relentless Rain Causes Havoc

The steady drumming of rain on rooftops across KwaZulu-Natal this weekend was a soundtrack to a day of chaos and tragedy on the roads. What began as a weather warning escalated into a relentless series of emergencies, stretching the province’s paramedics thin as they raced from one crash to the next.

The persistent downpours transformed familiar highways into slick, dangerous tracks, leading to multiple accidents with serious injuries and, tragically, at least one life lost.

A Grim Toll in the Early Hours

The calls for help started in the dead of night and continued through the morning. ALS Paramedics spokesperson Garrith Jamieson recounted a harrowing sequence of events.

Just after 1 a.m. on Sunday, a single vehicle lost control and rolled multiple times on the M4 northbound near the Broadway offramp. The crash was so severe that both the driver and passenger were critically entrapped in the wreckage, requiring a delicate joint rescue operation with the eThekwini Fire Department.

A few hours later, at around 4 a.m., another vehicle rolled on the N2 South near Chesterville. This time, six people were left with multiple injuries, all requiring stabilisation on the scene before being rushed to hospital.

A Fatal Collision and a Miraculous Escape

The most devastating incident occurred just after 8 a.m. on Inanda Road in the Waterfall area. Two vehicles collided head-on in a crash that paramedics described as “carnage.” One man, believed to be in his forties, sustained fatal injuries and was declared dead at the scene.

Four other patients from the collision were treated for serious injuries and transported to nearby hospitals for urgent care.

In yet another alarming incident, a vehicle on the M13 Durban-bound near Gillits left the road entirely, rolling down an embankment onto railway lines below. Miraculously, the three occupants, including a child, survived with various injuries and were transported to hospital after being stabilised.

A Plea for Caution

With the rain showing little sign of abating, emergency services have issued an urgent plea to all motorists. The message is simple but critical: slow down. Driving to the conditions is not just a suggestion; it is a necessity for survival.

Paramedics are urging drivers to reduce their speed significantly, increase their following distance, and ensure their headlights are on. Leaving earlier to account for slower travel times could be the most important decision a driver makes today.

The scenes of wreckage across KZN serve as a sombre reminder that a journey taken for granted in dry weather can become a life-or-death challenge when the skies open. For the sake of everyone on the road, extreme caution is not just advisedit is essential.

{Source: Citizen}

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