Two people lost their lives in separate crashes on roads linking Phoenix and Umhlanga, including a woman who was killed in an alleged hit-and-run on Phoenix Highway and a taxi driver who died after he collided with a municipal truck on the M41.
The two fatalities, occurring within approximately 24 hours of each other, have once again cast a spotlight on road safety and the devastating consequences of serious crashes on some of the area’s busiest routes.
In the first incident, a woman believed to be around 30 years old was killed after she was reportedly struck by a concrete truck while attempting to cross Phoenix Highway, opposite the Rydalvale Grounds, on Friday, 2 October. According to Reaction Unit South Africa (RUSA), its Operations Centre received multiple calls from members of the public reporting a woman lying in the middle of the highway.
Reaction officers were dispatched and, on arrival, established that the woman had allegedly been struck by a concrete truck while attempting to cross the busy roadway. The driver of the truck allegedly failed to stop after the collision and left the scene.
The woman sustained fatal injuries and was declared deceased at the scene. The incident also resulted in a delivery motorcyclist losing control of his motorcycle and falling while attempting to avoid the pedestrian. The motorcyclist was treated at the scene for the injuries sustained by RUSA paramedics.
The alleged hit-and-run has raised concern over the circumstances surrounding the woman’s death, particularly the allegation that the driver involved failed to stop after the collision.
Less than a day later, tragedy struck again when a taxi driver was killed in a serious two-vehicle collision on the M41, travelling from uMhlanga Rocks towards Phoenix, on Saturday morning, 3 October.
According to KZN VIP Emergency Medical Services spokesperson Gareth Naidoo, preliminary information indicated that the taxi had collided with the rear of a heavy motor vehicle, leaving the driver trapped inside the wreckage.
“Preliminary reports indicate that a taxi collided with the rear of a heavy motor vehicle, leaving the taxi driver trapped in the wreckage,” said Naidoo.
KZN VIP medical teams assessed the driver; however, he showed no signs of life and was declared deceased at the scene. Naidoo said occupants of the DSW truck had sustained injuries, but management declined assessment by emergency medical personnel and transported them to hospital in a private vehicle.
The Fire Department was called to the scene and subsequently extricated the deceased taxi driver from the wreckage.
“The circumstances leading up to the collision remain unconfirmed at this time,” Naidoo said.
The two deaths, occurring on consecutive days, brought a tragic start to the weekend for the Phoenix community, with two families now left mourning loved ones following separate incidents on roads frequently used by residents travelling between Phoenix and surrounding areas.
The circumstances surrounding both incidents are being investigated by the relevant authorities.
