It sounds like a scene taken straight out of a Jason Bourne movie but the only difference is that it was not a stunt. A driver of a minibus together with three other passengers walked unscathed from one of the most jaw-dropping accident scenes ever witnessed in Kraalfontein suburb in Cape Town, South Africa.
The minibus, a Toyota Quantum van came flying off the N1 highway and landed on the roof of an unsuspecting family before rolling off and falling into the yard of a house in Roux Street, Peerless Park.
According to one of the eyewitnesses, Celeste de Bruyn:
We heard something big falling on the roof. I immediately looked out of the window and then heard something falling. When I checked, a panel van was right next to the house on its wheels. Two passengers were lying a few metres from the van. The driver’s body was awkwardly bent over the front seat and he had a hole in his back. The girl’s arm was broken. One of them said they were returning from a club and were heading home, hence all the beers in the vehicle."
Celeste says it’s a miracle her parents weren’t hurt, as the roof was strong enough to withstand the impact.
We live along the N1, and we’re used to hearing sounds, but I will never be able to forget this. When the police arrived on the scene, they checked the speedometer and told us the meter stood still at 180 kilometres per hour. We are just very grateful to God that no lives were lost during this accident,” Celeste explains.
Police spokesperson, Siyabulela Malo, confirmed that Kraaifontein police are investigating a case of reckless and negligent driving.
According to reports, the driver of a white Toyota Quantum lost control of the vehicle he was driving, he left the road and damaged a private residential property’s wall and roof, as well as two private vehicles that were parked on the property. The driver and two passengers were taken to a nearby healthcare facility for medical treatment. Circumstances surrounding this incident are being investigated with no arrests made as yet.”
Header Image Credit: The taxi on the roof of Celeste's home / Sally Lottering