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Old 09-15-2007, 05:38 AM   #1 (permalink)
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Location: Port Elizabeth, South Africa
A very sad story

So, this might have been one of the most emotional weeks the city of Port Elizabeth has had in like ever.

6 children between the ages of nine and 14 were killed in a "taxi" (minibus) accident early in the week. 5 from the same school and one from another.

The accident enraged the community so much because we've been fighting losing battle basically with these taxi's who overload, sometimes double the capacity the vehicle can take, they speed, they drive drunk and basically they have no regard for other drivers or road users.

Now, I'm not saying it's all of them, because there are some who actually obey and do what's right when it comes to using our roads.

But, this taxi in particular, had been contracted out to the two schools to take and fetch these children in the mornings and afternoons.

The driver of this taxi, had been drinking, the taxi which was only suppose to be carrying 15 passengers, was overloaded by 12 and he had been going at a speed of 170km on a bridge that has been dubbed "the bridge of death" because of all the lives that have been spent there.

The driver lost control of the vehicle and it started to roll, one little boy was flung over 300m over the roof of a house to land in the yard of another house, a little girl killed on impact, another girl flung through the windscreen, died immediately, one boy who tried to hold out for the ambulance but died in his brother's arms...

The driver and the "conductor" of this taxi were seen jumping out of the vehicle as it started to roll...they walked away with just scratches.

Yesterday, there was a memorial service on the scene and literally thousands of people attended. I have never seen a community stand together like that before, to try and get the message across that these taxi's will have no more of our children's lives. But, the question that came to my mind then was "why only now?"

Anyways, I think the point of the community was made yesterday when the thousands who were there, marched from the scene of the accident to the taxi rank and had another little service there.

The driver appeared in court in the week and is being kept in jail until his sentencing for his own safety.

There was a mass funeral held today for these six little people and I just wanted to ask you guys to keep them and the bereaved families in your thoughts.

Thanks.
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Old 09-15-2007, 06:17 AM   #2 (permalink)
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Location: Canton, Ohio
Unfortunately, sometimes it takes a tragedy as marked as this to make people get moving. It is my sincere hope that things are taken care of and nothing like this ever happens again.

My dark side hopes that someone murders the taxi driver. I cant seem to feel remorse for the thought either.
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Old 09-15-2007, 06:34 AM   #3 (permalink)
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Location: Melbourne, Australia
A terrible thing.

One thought that comes to me is seat-belts. They should be compulsory in my view. They do at least prevent people from being thrown out of vehicles.
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Old 09-15-2007, 06:34 AM   #4 (permalink)
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Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Quote:
Originally Posted by Lady Sage
Unfortunately, sometimes it takes a tragedy as marked as this to make people get moving. It is my sincere hope that things are taken care of and nothing like this ever happens again.
You'd think that tragedy would cause people to be more careful, but i've noticed that people who are careless or jerks will always be careless and/or jerks.

There was a pretty serious accident on the highway yesterday when i was headed to dinner. What happens while we're all trying to pass through it? Some idiot cuts through 2 lanes without checking at all.
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Old 09-16-2007, 10:20 AM   #5 (permalink)
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Mandy, that is a very sad story, I feel terrible for the families of those children. My husband and I were in South Africa (Pretoria) 3 yrs. ago for his job. I was alone during the days and I would spend time looking out the window of our room at people walking by. I saw so many taxi's go by that were crammed full of people and there were a couple of major accident's on the news over the two weeks we were there. I'm sorry to hear it's still an ongoing battle.

Nimetic: I don't think seat belts would do anything to help combat the situation. From what I remember, the taxi's aren't a whole lot bigger than a minivan. As Mandy said the taxi was only supposed to be carrying 15 people and instead was carrying 27. Not to make light at all but it's like each taxi is a clown car with as many people as possible wedged in. Even if 15 were belted in, 12 would still be unprotected.
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Old 09-17-2007, 04:17 AM   #6 (permalink)
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Location: Port Elizabeth, South Africa
So so true alicat. It's absolutely terrible. one would think that after such a tragedy shocked the country, because it did reach the whole country, being on the 7 o' clock news almost every night that week, they'd be more careful.

so, another new development from this accident is that the taxi that rolled was not a normal mini van, it was a converted pannel van which did not have the safety specs of a normal van and it costs about R30 000 less than a proper van with all the safety specs, yet it was still declared roadworthy...WOW hey?

the things they do these days huh? now six kids are dead.
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