A routine trip turned into a nightmare on Monday evening, 23 June, when a minibus taxi overturned on the N2 highway near Cape Town, leaving a trail of devastation in its wake. The taxi, which was travelling from Cape Town to Khayelitsha, crashed near a bridge, flinging some passengers from the vehicle and trapping others inside the mangled wreckage.
The crash happened around 5pm and immediately drew the attention of passing motorists and pedestrians. Witnesses described a harrowing scene, with injured passengers sprawled across the grassy roadside and emergency services working frantically to treat the wounded.
Sinovuyo Somphali, one of the first witnesses at the scene, said he was shaken by what he saw.
“The scene was terrifying. People were lying all over the place, and you could see how badly some of them were hurt. Some were not moving at all, and we feared the worst,” Somphali said. “Ambulance workers were everywhere, trying to stabilise people and rush them to safety.”
Another witness, Nkululeko Msaseni from Gugulethu, was walking across the bridge near Bonteheuwel when he heard the crash.
“There was a loud bang, then screams. I ran towards the scene and saw the overturned taxi,” he said. “It was the first time I saw something like that. I helped pull out people trapped inside. It was chaos, but I couldn’t just walk away.”
Paramedics responded swiftly and treated several injured commuters on the scene before transporting them to nearby hospitals. The extent of the injuries has not been confirmed, but sources say several people were seriously hurt.
Police have opened a case of reckless and negligent driving as they investigate the cause of the accident. Warrant Officer Joseph Swartbooi confirmed that law enforcement officials attended the scene and are now looking into what caused the crash.
“Upon arrival on the N2 highway in the direction of Somerset West, police found a Toyota Quantum that had overturned,” said Swartbooi. “The passengers had already been taken to local hospitals for treatment. Manenberg police have registered a case of reckless and negligent driving, and the investigation is ongoing.”
Authorities have appealed to anyone with information or who may have witnessed the incident to contact CrimeStop at 08600 10111.
The crash adds to a growing list of tragic road accidents in the Western Cape, with concerns rising over road safety and the condition of public transport vehicles.
The identities of those injured have not been released, and it is unclear how many people were aboard the taxi at the time of the accident. Meanwhile, families await news of their loved ones as hospitals work to treat the wounded and stabilize those in critical condition.