ABOUT seven people were seriously injured yesterday when a commuter omnibus rammed into another kombi along Cowdray Park Road at the rail level crossing, popularly known as Esiporweni.
MTHANDAZO NYONI/BENSON DUBE
The injured were rushed to hospital by two ambulances.
Among the injured was a pregnant woman, who appeared to have suffered severe complications.
An elderly man in his 80s also appeared to be in a state of shock and could not recount what happened.
According to the driver of one of the kombis, Bekithemba Bango, the accident was caused by a cop, who allegedly blindfolded him over a $2 fine.
“We were plying Nkulumane-Cowdray Park route and when we got to Pelandaba intersection, a uniformed policeman got into the kombi and we took him for a passenger, but to my surprise he grabbed me by my trousers and started demanding money as I was ddriving,” Bango said.
“The policeman began to pull my clothes tearing them in the process and when I got to the Cowdray Park area I heard a train whistle close to the rail intersection and the policeman blindfolded me resulting in the accident.
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“I lost control and hit the kombi in front of me from behind,” he added.
Thabo Siwela, a passenger in Bango’s kombi, said he was shocked to see the cop blindfolding the driver while the car was moving.
“What the driver is saying is true. When I heard the train whistle, I thought that was the end of me,” Siwela said.
According to Ronald Dube, the kombi tout, the policeman fled after realising that he had caused an accident.
When a Southern Eye crew arrived at the accident scene at around midday, some police details were recording statements from the driver and passengers while ambulance officials attended to the injured.
Police could not be reached for comment.
