15 people injured in four separate accidents in Port Elizabeth

Fifteen people were injured in four separate accidents across Nelson Mandela Bay on Tuesday morning.

The accidents, which occurred in several different areas across the Bay, saw only one person seriously injured and a minibus taxi driver arrested.

One of the accidents happened near to Monday morning’s fatal crash which saw two people killed and seven injured when a bakkie transporting construction workers rolled on the Chelsea Road while en-route to a site in Sardinia Bay.

Police spokesperson Captain Johan Rheeder said that one of the larger crashes was at 7:45am leading to a three vehicle pile-up in Chelsea Road, leaving six people with minor injuries, and all three vehicles wrecked.

Rheeder said that the accident happened when a bakkie towing a trailer allegedly stopped in the road to turn.

“The driver stopped to turn when another bakkie collided into the back of the trailer. A third vehicle then collided into the two car pile-up during the incident,” he said.

At about 7:15am, a taxi collided into the back of a bakkie in Commercial Road and Rundle Road in Korsten.

“The bakkie stopped at the intersection when a minibus taxi collided into the back of the them. No one was seriously injured and seven people sustained slight injury and were taken to hospital,” Rheeder said.

At about 7:30am, Metro police arrested a minibus taxi driver when he allegedly collided into a pedestrian in Stanford Road.

Metro Police Chief Yolande Faro said that the 46-year-old driver was allegedly speeding and driving recklessly in the IPTS lane when the vehicle hit a pedestrian.

“It is alleged a taxi was driving in Stanford road, Gelvandale, allegedly inconsiderate to other road users and in a reckless or negligent manner. The driver was arrested and the 37-year-old pedestrian rushed to hospital in a serious condition,” she said.

Faro said that the pedestrian suffered serious injuries to his right leg which was broken and a shoulder injury.

Bay EMS head and paramedic Ashwell Botha added that shortly after 8am, another accident happened in Dijon Road, Lorraine. While no one was seriously injured, one person was injured and taken to hospital for a check-up.

All fifteen people were treated at the various hospitals across the metro while the arrested taxi driver will appear in court on Wednesday.