[FOCHVILLE – 19 JANUARY 2012 AT 15H10]

A father and son are in a serious condition after a collision between an articulated truck and a bakkie on the N12 about 5km outside of Fochville in the direction of Potchefstroom this afternoon.

ER24 paramedics arrived on the scene and found the truck across the N12 with the bakkie up against the side of the trailer with extensive damage to the front of it. The two occupants of the bakkie believed to be father and son were entrapped and were in a serious condition. The Jaws of Life and other hydraulic equipment were used to extricate them from the vehicle by the local Fire Department so paramedics could stabilise them further. The son, who is believed to be 21, had suffered multiple broken bones and suspected chest and head injury from the impact of the collision.

While Advanced Life Support intervention was being performed, the ER24 Discovery Medicopter was called to the scene to airlift the son to hospital for rapid further medical intervention.

The father was stabilised by the provincial ambulance service on the scene and was transported to a nearby hospital for further medical care. The driver of the truck was uninjured in the accident.

It is believed that the driver of the truck was doing a u-turn on a blind rise when the collision occurred. The necessary authorities were on the scene and would investigate the incident further.

Derrick Banks, ER24