Speeding Bakkie Crashes Into Home on Old Mill Way as Residents Demand Urgent Road Safety Action

Residents living on a strip of road on Old Mill Way were given more cause for concern when a motorist lost control of his vehicle, which was allegedly travelling at high speed, and crashed into a property during the early hours of Sunday.

Rescue services struggled for more than two hours, using the jaws of life, to free the male driver of a 1-ton bakkie. He was in a serious condition, having sustained multiple injuries before being moved to hospital.

According to an eyewitness and CCTV footage showing the crash, the accident occurred near a sharp bend on Old Mill Way, which is parallel to the nearby Northwood Crusaders Sports Club.

The bakkie somersaulted and eventually landed on a carport at one of the properties, damaging the vehicles parked there. Locals reported that Sunday’s crash was the sixth in that vicinity during the course of the year.

A resident, who wished to remain anonymous, alerted emergency services around 1:45 am. “It took two hours for Netcare 911 to pry the driver out of the wreckage using the jaws of life,” the resident stated. The driver was eventually freed around 5:30 am.

Sheetal Cross, another Durban North resident, described the crash on Old Mill Way as "horrifying," emphasising that it has once again brought the dangers of this road into sharp focus.

“This was not a one-off incident. In the past year alone, there have been more than six crashes along this stretch of road, with vehicles repeatedly crashing into nearby residential properties. I have personally attended at least four of these incidents, three of which involved drivers trapped inside their vehicles. Each time, residents are left wondering whether the next crash will be fatal.”

“Each crash leaves behind more than wreckage. Families are left repairing damaged property, and municipal infrastructure is often badly affected. Community members frequently rush out to assist crash victims alongside emergency services.

"Despite repeated requests from residents and ward councillors since 2024 for basic traffic calming measures, such as speed bumps, nothing has changed,” Cross added.

Given the rate of incidents, residents have intensified their calls for traffic calming measures in the area and have begun collaborating with local ward Councillor Heinz De Boer.

De Boer told the Daily News about his numerous collaborations with the eThekwini Municipality's transportation department, which have yet to yield results as they have not approved the installation of safety measures.

He stated, “eThekwini does not seem to want to install traffic lights or speed humps in that area. We have made them aware of the hotspots, but we need to convince them to act.”

He added that while poor driving behaviour contributes to the issue, the municipality must also take responsibility for enhancing road safety.

In response, eThekwini Police Metro spokesperson Boysie Zungu assured residents that he would personally investigate the incident.

“I will make sure that I look into the situation and provide full details about it,” he affirmed, acknowledging the community’s worries about road safety in the area.

DAILY NEWS