Crisis Medical Paramedics responded to a reports of pedestrian accident on Effingham Road at 07:15 this morning.

First to arrive on scene, paramedics found a man lying in the road after being knocked down by a car. He was immediately immobilised for suspected spinal injuries. A 10 year old passenger of the vehicle involved in the collision suffered suspected low leg injuries, she too was immobilised on scene before both patients were transported to hospital by Crisis Medical ambulance for the care they required.

At this stage it is believed the pedestrian was attempting to cross the road when an unsighted vehicle collided with him.

SAPS were on scene to investigate.

Issued by: Neil Powell
Crisis Medical Media Spokesman

Crisis Medical Paramedics responded to reports of a collision on the N2 south bound before the Clare Road Bridge at around 15:35 today.

On arrival, paramedics found that two vehicles had collided in a rear end fashion coming to rest in the fast lane. The occupants were assessed and it was found that one person had suffered minor injuries while another had become mechanically trapped in their vehicle. Further assistances was called and the Jaws of Life were used to free the injured patient. Both occupants were stabilised on scene before being transported to hospital by Crisis Medical ambulance and another service provider.

At this stage it is unknown what caused the collision and will be subject to Police investigation.

Traffic on the North bound and South bound lane was badly affected as a backlog of nearly 2km in both direction developed.

Issued by: Neil Powell
Crisis Medical Media Spokesman

It’s official: motorists in Centurion, Gauteng, have set a new record for tyre maintenance. This is the news from the Bridgestone Tyre Check team after analysing the results of its most recent Tyre Check, held in the car park of Pick n Pay’s Lifestyle Centre Hypermarket on 1 May. The event was the second of 2013 and the 24^th since the ongoing Tyre Check series of surveys was launched in 2007.

The results from the 996 tyres surveyed on 249 vehicles showed that 98% of tyres were within the recommended pressure safety limits. This is a substantial increase on the previous record of 95% set during a survey at Carnival Mall in 2012. Bridgestone’s tyre specialists checked the pressure and condition of the tyres on each vehicle surveyed and summarised their findings in a report left on the vehicle’s windscreen for the driver. Tyres are classified according to their degree of inflation: the recommended pressure is between 180 kPa and 290 kPa , ‘dangerous’ is below 180 kPa but above 150 kPa, and ‘extremely dangerous’ is reserved for tyres that are below 150 kPa or above 290 kPa.

Bridgestone PR Manager, Mandy Lovell congratulated the Centurion motorists on their attention to their tyres. “When Tyre Check started in 2007, tyre pressure compliance was routinely below 80%, and the record low was 54%,” she said. “A result of 98% is fantastic and we’re really pleased at the rest of the results too,” she added.

Of the 2% of tyres that fell outside the recommended inflation pressure limits, half fell into the ‘dangerous’ category and the other half were classified as ‘extremely dangerous’. The survey showed that percentage of vehicles with mis-matched tyres was just 2%, the second-lowest ever recorded. Every tyre was also checked for general safety, such as cuts or bulges and excessive tread wear. The number of tyres which were so badly worn or damaged that they were rendered unsafe was very low in the Centurion survey, at 3%. This was also the second-best result recorded for tyre damage and wear, behind the 2% obtained during the Moffet Retail Park survey in Port Elizabeth in 2012. However, in the latter survey, the percentage of tyres with correct inflation pressure was just 88%, far off the Centurion result.

Lovell said that overall the Centurion results were the best to date, and she added that the long-running nature of the Tyre Check project was yielding distinct trends. “For example, the Centurion results are an improvement on the results from our 2012 survey of Centurion, which were themselves above average,” she explained.

“But if one looks at our survey conducted in Germiston earlier this year, 20% of vehicles had mis-matched tyres, and only 88% had pressures in the acceptable range,” she said.

“These results are largely unchanged from the results we obtained in our previous Germiston survey two years ago. In our view this presents the traffic authorities in the Germiston area with a law enforcement opportunity,” she commented. “This is the kind of practical benefit we were hoping for from the Tyre Check project and if it can save just one life, it’ll have been worthwhile,” she concluded.

Also view:

Road Safety and Tyre Safety

Tyre Safety and Car Insurance

~ Follow these charity fundraisers as they take on one of the world’s most gruelling challenges ~

Johannesburg, South Africa (May 2013) – mapIT, in partnership with Altech Netstar, is proud to be backing the third Unogwaja Challenge in support of charity by supplying an interactive map that will follow the athletes. The twelve team members, who will be tracked live throughout the journey, will set off on the morning of the 23 May 2013 at 04:00 am and embark on a 1 749km cycle from Cape Town to Durban over ten days. They will arrive in Durban on the 1 June to compete the next day in The Comrades Marathon with the ambition to finish one of the world’s toughest races in under 12 hours – and all in the name of charity.

mapIT has provided The Unogwaja Challenge with one of their popular interactive maps that illustrates the route the contestants will follow. The map will also monitor each cyclist’s total distance travelled per day and most importantly the live tracking services of each individual. “Each member will have a device, provided by Altech Netstar, and this information is fed to the public through the mapIT interface,” said Carey Dodd, Marketing Manager of mapIT. “This will enable supporters to keep up with the action on the road,” added Dodd.

Lourens van Zyl (back), Paul Blake, John McInroy, WP van Zyl (front)

“We are very grateful for the support of so many people who make this journey possible. The cycle and run is only a part of this incredible story about the feat of a man back in 1933. It is also the legacy of his heart that has reached and touched so many people which remains in our hearts. Thank you to mapIT for allowing people to literally be with us every pedal and step of the way – giving us the extra support to keep going!” said John McInroy, organiser of the Unogwaja Challenge.

To monitor the progress of the contestants, visit http://unogwajachallenge.mapit.co.za

The Unogwaja Challenge’s heritage dates back to 1931 when Phil Masterton-Smith known by the local Zulu community as Ungowaja, “The Hare”, became the youngest ever Comrades winner at the age of 19 – a record that still stands today. In 1933, unable to afford the train fare to Pietermaritzburg, Phil opted to cycle 1 700kms from Cape Town and still managed to finish the marathon in 10^th place.

“We are delighted to be providing live tracking for this year’s challenge in partnership with mapIT.  We hope that supporters and sponsors will enjoy being able to closely monitor each “Hare’s” progress online, and we’re proud to be part of the team supporting this amazing journey,” said Shona Minards the PR & Communications Manager of Altech Netstar.

This will be the third year of The Unogwaja Challenge which raises money for various charities. For more information or to donate please visit http://www.unogwajachallenge.com/

About mapIT

mapIT, powered by TomTom Africa, offers businesses high quality digital maps with accurate and extensive coverage of Sub-Saharan Africa and across the globe. Furthermore they offer this map data on the world’s foremost Location Based Services (LBS) platform, mapIT are an all-encompassing digital mapping company. Working together with TomTom Africa, Times Media Group and Partners, mapIT establishes innovative and comprehensive suites of digital mapping platforms to position itself as the leading international enabler of accurate location-based platforms throughout Sub-Saharan Africa.

For more information visit http://www.mapit.co.za

Just before 8pm last night Rescue Care paramedics were called to the N3 Durban bound near spaghetti junction for a serious collision.

On arrival paramedics found carnage. It appears that a single vehicle which was proceeding from the N3 Pinetown bound onto the N2 north bound had somehow lost control and hit the barrier where it then went over the barrier falling approximately 10 metres and landing on the N3 Durban bound. All three of the occupants were ejected from the vehicle. Two of the occupants were found on the N3 Durban bound whilst the third patient was found on the N2 South bound under the spaghetti junction.

Unfortunately the patient that was on the N2 south bound had already passed away due to his severe injuries. One of the other occupants of the vehicle had sustained critical injuries and was placed on a manual ventilator on the scene. He had suffered multiple injuries. The last occupant had also sustained serious injuries and both these men were transported to King Edward Hospital for the further care that they required.

It is unclear what caused the vehicle to loose control however the necessary authorities were on the scene and will be investigating further.

Regards

Garrith Jamieson
Operations Director

[Westville, KZN - 19 May 2013]

Incident Time: 21H00

One person has died and two other people are in a critical condition after the Bakkie they were traveling in left the road and rolled off the N3 Durban bound and N2 south bound interchange and landed on the N3 Durban bound freeway late yesterday evening.

Emergency personnel arrived on the scene and found the Bakkie on the N3 Durban bound in the middle lane with extensive damage to the vehicle and two occupants found strewn on the N3 and the other patient on the N2 North bound. All three occupants are believed to be in their mid to late twenties.

The patient on the N2 north bound was declared deceased on scene due to traumatic and fatal injuries he had sustained in the accident. The two other patients were in a critical condition after sustaining poly trauma injuries. Advanced Life Support intervention was performed on the patients before being transported to a nearby hospital for further medical care.

The necessary authorities were on scene and would investigate the accident further.

For this and other articles please visit: blog.er24.co.za

Derrick Banks

MAGALIESBURG – R506 19 May 2013 at 1330

Two medical helicopters were dispatched earlier to a motor vehicle collision on the R506 between Magaliesburg and Koster.

It appears that the driver of a VW Polo apparently lost control and crashed into a tree next to the road. Paramedics that arrived on the incident found a man with fatal injuries. He was declared dead on the scene.

Two people sustained critical injuries and had to be airlifted from the scene for further medical care. Another two people sustained moderate injuries and was treated on the scene before taken per ambulance to Johannesburg Hospitals.

The exact cause for this incident is not yet clear and will be investigated. A bystander on the scene explained that the vehicle was traveling towards Magaliesburg when the incident occurred.

Crisis Medical paramedics responded to reports of a vehicle that had overturned on North Coast Road before Nandi Drive at 16:30 on Friday, 17 May 2013.

First to arrive on scene, paramedics found a VW Polo lying on its roof in the centre medium. The driver of the vehicle was assessed and it was found he had sustained moderate injuries. The driver was carefully placed on spine board before being fully immobilised. The injured man was then transported to a local hospital by Crisis Medical ambulance for further medical care.

On scene reports suggest another vehicle tried to change lanes causing the VW Polo to take evasive action resulting in the roll over.

All law enforcement agencies were on scene to assist with the resulting traffic backlog.

Issued by: Neil Powell
Crisis Medical Media Spokesman

Just before 3pm Rescue Care paramedics were called to the N3 Durban bound opposite the pavilion for a serious collision involving a truck and two vehicles.

On arrival paramedics found carnage. A truck had lost control on the Durban bound carriageway and collided into two vehicles before overturning coming to rest on its side. Its flammable cargo then began leaking down the freeway. The freeway was closed as no vehicles could pass. A quick assessment revealed that two people had sustained injuries. The truck driver which had been ejected from the wreckage had sustained serious injuries and was stabilized on the scene before being transported to St Augustine’s Hospital for further care that she required. Another driver had also sustained slight injuries and was also transported through to hospital for further care.

Fire department together with other emergency services are still on the scene trying to clear the accident scene.

Traffic was severely affected as the N3 Durban bound was closed at Pavilion and this caused major congestion to all routes as people tried to make their way home.

Regards

Garrith Jamieson
Operations Director

Paramedics responded to the call of emergency where a head on collision is believed to have taken place on the N8, Nelson Mandela Drive near the N1 bridge in Bloemfontein.

Although the exact nature and cause of the collision is under investigation by police, reports came back from the scene that one of the vehicles crashed over the middle island and head on into the other. When the paramedics arrived they found that a man in his 40′s was badly injured, he had been travelling in the Toyota RunX at the time of impact, and under Advanced Life Support care he was transported by ambulance to Mediclinic Bloemfontein for further care. The woman who is also believed to have been travelling in the RunX, suffered moderate to serious injuries but she was taken in a stable condition to hospital.

It is not clear at this time as to the injuries sustained by the occupants of the Toyota Hilux bakkie.