Eastern Cape Paramedic and Patient Killed in Ambulance Crash near Queenstown

• A tragic vehicle crash claimed the lives of two people on Monday, 13 October 2025, on the R392, 25 km from Queenstown towards Dordrecht in the Eastern Cape
• It has been reported that a member of the Emergency Medical Services and a patient lost their lives when the ambulance overturned
• The Eastern Cape Health MEC said that it is unfortunate to lose a valuable staff member and a patient in need of clinical care
• Briefly News spoke with Eastern Cape police spokesperson Captain Namhla Mdleleni, who confirmed the vehicle accident

An Eastern Cape paramedic and a patient tragically lost their lives in a vehicle accident on Monday, 13 October 2025. It is alleged that the ambulance was travelling towards Dordrecht in the Eastern Cape.

Paramedic and patient killed in crash

The ambulance was reportedly en route to Dordrecht. One of the paramedics who drove the ambulance allegedly lost control of the vehicle, which led it to overturn. The 44-year-old patient and one of the paramedics, aged 41, died on the scene. The driver, a 46-year-old paramedic, was rushed to a nearby hospital for treatment.

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Briefly News spoke with Eastern Cape police spokesperson Captain Namhla Mdleleni, who confirmed that a 46-year-old Eastern Cape paramedic and a 44-year-old patient tragically died in a vehicle accident on Monday, 13 October 2025.

"We can confirm that we are investigating a case of culpable homicide, following the deaths of a health worker, and a patient when the ambulance overturned, " Mdleleni said.

Mdleleni stated that the ambulance was travelling on R392 near the Qoqodala location in Cacadu when the accident occurred.

MEC responds to the crash

The Eastern Cape Health MEC, Ntandokazi Capa, said that the department lost a committed member in the call of duty. Capa stated that the paramedic left the department at a time when his service was much needed.

She said that the Eastern Cape Department is sad to lose a valuable member and a patient who required clinical care. The MEC wished the surviving paramedic a speedy recovery.

"A patient who comes to our health facility does so in the hope of being healed and not to die. It is a very unfortunate that we lost a patient in this manner," Capa said.

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Capa expressed her condolences to the families of the EMS staff member and the patient.

Other vehicle accidents in 2025

A horrific crash involving a taxi carrying school children has left 18 learners injured. The taxi, which was taking learners to schools on the first day of the new term, overturned on the N3 near Durban. The accident occurred before the Mariannhill Toll Plaza on Monday, 13 October 2025, before 7 am.

Multiple people have died following an accident on the N3, Pietermaritzburg bound. The fatalities occurred after a taxi collided with a vehicle and then veered off the road. The incident happened before 17:30 near the Shongweni off-ramp.

At least 42 people were killed in a horrific bus crash on the N1 highway in Limpopo on Sunday, 12 October 2025. The long-distance bus was reportedly travelling from Gqeberha in the Eastern Cape to Harare, Zimbabwe, when it overturned and rolled down an embankment. The bus was set to travel to Malawi after a stop in Zimbabwe. The accident occurred near Ingwe Lodge between Louis Trichardt and Musina.

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Pregnant woman suffers head injury in ambulance

Briefly News previously reported that a pregnant woman on her way to the hospital in Kroonstad in an ambulance suffered multiple injuries when the car overturned.

The driver of the ambulance reportedly lost control of the car while travelling from Steynrus to Kroon Hospital.

Source: Briefly News