Dutch tourist dies after crash
Lia Van Zyl
Rocky Drift – A South African safari adventure was cut short for a young
woman from the Netherlands when a minibus taxi ploughed into the Selous
African Safaris & Tours minibus she had been traveling in on the R40 at the
Plaston turn off on Thursday afternoon . She died in hospital three days after
the accident .
Another accident occurred at exactly the same spot early the following
morning, which claimed the lives of 11 people ( see story on page 1) .
According to the Selous bus driver, Mr Lloyd Cronk , he had just picked up
a new tour group at the airport and they were on their way to the Kruger
National Park at about 13h00.
“I was waiting at the Plaston turn-off to turn right towards White River when I
heard a loud crashing sound” he explained.
A minibus taxi which had been traveling behind him collided with the trailer
the Selous minibus had been towing .
The impact pushed the bus across the road and into a barrier on the
opposite side of the road .
The minibus taxi collided with a stationery Volkswagen Polo at the
intersection .
Cronk immediately got out of the vehicle and assisted the passengers in his
minibus .
The young woman from the Netherlands was seated at the back and
sustained serious head injuries . She was airlifted to Mediclinic Nelspruit.
Cronk was informed by his office that she died on Sunday afternoon. She
was only 18.
“Her parents flew in from the Netherlands on Saturday.They are
devastated,” he said.
Lowvelder enquired about the Netherlands citizen at Mediclinic, but her
parents had instructed hospital spokesmen not to release any details to the
media . Another 12 passengers from the Selous minibus were treated at the
Mediclinic that afternoon and four were discharged that same day.
By Friday morning another one had been discharged and the other two
were reported to be in a stable condition.
