Two vehicles collide in EL leaving 14 people injured

Fourteen people were rushed to hospital yesterday morning after two vehicles collided near Wilsonia on the Mdantsane Access road.

The accident took place near the Scenery Park turn off at about 8.30am when a taxi travelling from Mdantsane collided with a Mercedes-Benz travelling in the opposite direction.

East London police spokesman Lieutenant-Colonel Mtati Tana said a case of reckless driving had been opened.

“Police are investigating and we can also confirm that there were no fatalities reported at the scene of the accident. Fourteen people including the two drivers were injured,” said Tana.

The Mdantsane access road is used by taxis and trucks delivering and collecting goods from the Wilsonia industrial area. It had to be closed for more than an hour as paramedics attended to the injured.

A helicopter was sent to the scene to airlift the seriously injured to hospital.

It was not clear if any other vehicles were involved.

“The road had to be quickly cleared of wreckage as it is the main access road to Mdantsane and is used by delivery vehicles,” said Tana.

Some of the injured included school pupils. Those injured were admitted to different hospitals in East London.

Department of health spokesman Sizwe Kupelo could not be reached for comment yesterday at the time of writing.

Tana said he had not been informed on any new developments regarding the conditions of those admitted to hospital.

“We always appeal to motorists to travel at a normal regulated speed all the time to avoid such incidents,”