3-CAR CRASH: TEACHER DIES; PUPILS, NURSE RUSHED TO HOSPITAL

LUKHULA – A 50-year-old female teacher of one of the schools in the Lubombo Region lost her life yesterday morning, after the vehicle she was driving, a Corsa Utility van, was involved in an accident with two other vehicles.

The other vehicles were a Toyota Quantum and a VW sedan. The Quantum had pupils on board among its passengers and the VW sedan was driven by a nurse. The accident happened at around 6am at Budvodza-abukhulelwa area under Lukhula community. Siceliwe Maziya was a teacher at Loyiwe Primary School, situated in Maphungwane community. She is survived by two children, according to her sister Sithembile. Sithembile said they were still shocked as a family, as they did not anticipate the untimely demise of Siceliwe. “I arrived at the scene after her body had been taken to the hospital. We are still shocked as a family and are traumatised on what has just happened,” she said. According to witnesses, Siceliwe was driving the white Opel Corsa utility van from Lukhula towards Big Bend and was followed by a black VW sedan, while the Quantum ferrying pupils and passengers, was driving from the Big Bend direction towards Lukhula.

Indicators

The witness shared that the teacher signalled, through her indicators, that she was entering her homestead just about 2km from the Lukhula-Siteki T-Junction and slowed down. “I could not establish what prompted the driver of the VW sedan to hit the Corsa van, as just in the twinkling of an eye, the Quantum hit the van and dragged it until it reached the fence of the teacher’s homestead. Motorists had to stop to attend the van and the screaming pupils while an ambulance was called to take them  to the hospital. The police also acted promptly and arrived at the scene together with the Fire, Rescue and Emergency Services personnel in about 20 minutes,” said the witness.

It was also established that the family members of Siceliwe also witnessed the accident as they were waiting for her at the gate, including her mother, to pick some items she had bought before embarking on her journey to her school. About five pupils who were on board the kombi were treated and discharged at the Good Shepherd Catholic Hospital (GSCH). The pupils were being transported to their respective schools, namely Siteki Nazarene High, Mpaka Railway Primary and Mpaka High. It was gathered that one pupil sustained an injury on the right eye, while the four others sustained minor bruises.

The eyewitness stated that the body of the teacher was trapped inside her vehicle and was retrieved by the Fire, Rescue and Emergency Services personnel, from the Siteki Fire Station. Adding, the witness claimed that the lifeless body of the teacher was then whisked to the hospital where she was certified dead upon arrival. “I think the kombi driver made an error on his calculations as when he tried to avoid the van, he then hit it and dragged it, yet if he had stopped, the accident could have been avoided,” said the witness. The nurse, *Sindi, who was driving the VW sedan, was also treated and discharged after she sustained injuries on her mouth and hands including minor bruises on her body. The nurse works for one of the clinics in the Lubombo Region. She said she could not recollect what happened due to the fact that the accident happened so fast. “I just saw the van indicating, signalling that the driver was entering a home and at that instance, I saw the kombi hitting the van and thereafter I could not recall what happened,” she said.

Chief Police Information and Communications Officer Superintendent Phindile Vilakati said the 50-year-old woman who was the driver of the Corsa utility van was confirmed dead upon arrival at the hospital. “Yes, we have an accident in our records that claimed the life of a 50-year-old woman who was the driver and was confirmed dead at the hospital,” she said. Meanwhile, in May 2021, eight pupils from Siteki Nazarene primary and high school cheated death when a Siyaya kombi they were travelling in overturned while ferrying them to their respective schools.  The accident happened just around 7am along the Lukhula-Siteki Public Road near the Buckwood Guest House junction. The pupils sustained minor injuries and bruises and were treated and discharged at GSCH.
*Not real names

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