Dead N1 crash victims robbed
2007-9-19 23:06
Colesberg - For 10 years, the Eastern Cape's wheelchair basketball team couldn't afford to take part in the national championships.
On Tuesday night, while on their way to fulfil their dream, fate struck a cruel blow when three of the players were killed in an accident while they were en route to the championship in Bloemfontein.
Deonette Olivier, 28, of Port Elizabeth and Sinlindile Vuliwe of East London died in the crash, while Dirk Brand, 47, also of Port Elizabeth, died on the way to hospital.
The team had left Port Elizabeth on Tuesday morning. By 15:55 they were about 1km from Colesberg.
Close to the spot where the N9 from the Eastern Cape merges with the N1 between Cape Town and Johannesburg, their minibus collided with a truck heading in the direction of Cape Town.
Stopped at intersection
Apparently the team's driver Johan Scholtz stopped at the stop-sign. When he saw no vehicles approaching, he pulled off.
Shortly afterwards a truck smashed into the side of the minibus.
Scholtz was still in shock on Wednesday. He described the intersection where the routes merge as a real "death trap".
The impact sent some of the passengers, including Olivier, flying through the windows. One of the truck's trailers apparently pulverised her.
Emergency workers rushed the six other passengers to the hospital at Colesberg.
Iwan Olivier, Deonette's seven-year-old son, was transferred to the ICU of Rosepark Hospital in Bloemfontein with bleeding on the brain and lung problems.
Ayanda Thembiso of East London was transferred to Pelonomi Hospital in Bloemfontein while Thulani Spoyo and Fundisile Sochan were taken to a hospital in Kimberley.
Scholtz and Siseko Mfanana suffered light injuries and were discharged on Wednesday.
Bystanders robbed crash victims
While emergency workers were tending to the injured, bystanders apparently robbed them blind. Cellphones and wallets vanished into thin air.
Olivier's purse, with all the funds for the trip, was found empty about 100m from the accident site.
Both the Kombi and the wheelchairs that were being transported on top of the trailer were written off.
The driver of the truck was not injured.