Woman dies, scores hurt in city-centre bus crash

Shortly after the accident, bruised and bloodied passengers were sitting on the pavement on the corner of Kempston and Commercial roads as a host of paramedics, police officers and other emergency services personnel tried to make sense of the chaotic scene.

An Algoa Bus, with 45 people onboard, was travelling down Kempston Road when the driver lost control as he turned into Commercial Road shortly before 3pm.

The bus veered onto the pavement, destroying about 20m of pedestrian railing before crashing through four traffic lights, hitting a stationary bakkie and coming to a standstill against the outer wall of the Standard Bank branch in Kempston Road.

Eunice Linda Majola, 50, who was sitting next to her husband near the front of the bus, was flung through the front window, colliding with the bank’s wall. She died on the scene. Andre Roberts, 30, was working on his car at his father’s workshop around the corner when he heard the commotion outside.

“It sounded like metal grinding on metal, like brakes not working properly.

“The next thing we heard these loud crashing sounds and we ran outside. As we came into the street we saw the bus hitting the side of the building,” Roberts said.

“We ran to the bakkie, but it was empty. That’s when we saw the woman lying across the dashboard of the bus,” he said.

“I can’t describe what she looked like. It was like something out of a nightmare.”

Roberts and his father Robbie then went to the bus driver’s door, where they had to break away pieces of the dashboard to free the 25-year-old driver, who was pinned to his seat.

“While we were helping the driver some guy jumped into the bus and tugged at the cash box until it broke free. Without helping anyone, he just grabbed the box and ran off,” a shocked Roberts said.

The father and son helped some of the other passengers off the bus until emergency services arrived.

“Some of the people had bad cuts and probably some broken bones. But it did not seem like anyone’s life was in danger at that stage,” Roberts senior said.

Meanwhile, en route to the scene, an ambulance was involved in another accident that landed two medics in hospital.

Gardmed Ambulance Services operations manager Craig Schwartz said one of their ambulances had been heading to Kempston Road when a vehicle failed to stop at the intersection of Burt Drive and William Road in Newton Park.

“The other vehicle crossed a stop street and hit the side of our vehicle. Two of our guys were taken to hospital, one with a fractured arm,” Schwartz said.

At the original accident scene, police spokesman Warrant Officer Alwin Labans said the bus driver had tested negative for alcohol.

The injured passengers were transported to the Livingstone and Dora Nginza hospitals.

“A full investigation of the accident will launched. At this stage we are investigating charges of culpable homicide and reckless and negligent driving,” Labans said.

Algoa Bus could not be reached for comment last night.