Three people were killed and nine others were injured on Friday morning after the minibus taxi in which they were travelling overturned on the N17 west highway.<\/p>\n
It is alleged that a blow-out caused the accident, which happened between Osborn Road in Wadeville and Rondebult Road in Boksburg at about 9.54am.<\/p>
\u201cWhen Ekurhuleni Disaster and Emergency Management Services (DEMS) rescue teams arrived, they found that the minibus was standing across the eastern bound side of the highway, obstructing three lanes of traffic,\u201d said William Ntladi, media liaison officer for DEMS.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cSome of the patients were lying across the road and two lifeless bodies were lying a couple of metres away from each other.\u00a0<\/span><\/p> \u201cA third patient was declared dead on scene after the paramedics attempted resuscitation.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThe deceased were all males.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Two of the injured commuters were in critical conditions and another patient was airlifted to Chris Hani Baragwaneth Hospital for further medical care.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The rest of the patients were transported to different hospitals within Ekurhuleni for medical care.<\/p>\n \u201cApparently the vehicle was travelling west from Springs heading for Johannesburg.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cIt rolled several times across the road island and ended up landing on the east bound side.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cBoth directions of the N17 highway were temporarily closed as a result of the accident,\u201d said Ntladi. \u201cThe commuters were ejected from the vehicle as it tumbled down the roadway and were spread over a large area,\u201d said Botha.<\/p>\n The GCN were on scene where they witnessed the heartache of a father who found out his 21-year-old son was one of the victims killed in the accident.<\/p>\n The man broke down on the side on the N17 as his son\u2019s body was loaded into the back of a mortuary van.<\/p>\n
\nNetcare Limited media liaison Chris Botha explained that Netcare 911 paramedics and other services arrived on scene to find the roadway littered with accident debris and the twisted frame of the vehicle.<\/p>\n