A driver who crashed a minibus taxi that was transporting school children along Philip Kgosana Drive towards Cape Town was reported to have fled the scene.

The accident occurred at approximately 7.25am on Thursday morning.

The minibus taxi was left overturned on the side of the road, and Traffic and Fire and Rescue Services found the vehicle without its driver.

One eight-year-old has been seriously injured and was transported to the Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital, while a further nine are suffering from shock. The children suffering from shock are being treated at the District Six Day Hospital.

A further four slight injuries were reported.

The crash has caused delays coming into Cape Town, but no road closures have yet been reported.

Five school children were left injured after a taxi overturned (Picture: Supplied/Jaco Marais)

 

 

Recently, the community of Zonnebloem met with various stakeholders in child safety to discuss the spike of child abductions, as well as the recent increase in children being injured during taxi crashes.

The community pointed to two incidents where children were killed during a crash, namely an incident in July where a seven-year-old pupil from Holy Cross Primary School was decapitated while being transported in an unroadworthy minibus taxi. The accident occurred on the N2 near Borcherds Quarry, and the vehicle was overloaded – a total of 29 children were being transported by the vehicle at the time.

“There was no license on the overloaded vehicle and the driver did not have the necessary permit to convey children,” Western Cape Traffic Chief, Kenny Africa, told News24 at the time.

A 16-year-old pupil from Sea Point High School was killed in a minibus taxi accident as well – the driver was intoxicated and the vehicle was also not roadworthy. The accident occurred in June.

 

Picture: Supplied/Jaco Marais

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Lucinda is a hard news writer who occasionally dabbles in lifestyle writing, and recent journalism graduate. She is a proud intersectional feminist, and is passionate about actively creating a world which is free of discrimination and inequality.