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The Herald, July 28, 1979

A GRASS fire behind Lewisam shops in Highlands, Salisbury, yesterday caused a four-car and a motorcycle pile-up on the Enterprise Road.  

And late last night one of the crash victims, Mr Keith Melton of Salisbury was being detained in Andrew Fleming hospital suffering from broken ribs.

Five other people – three men and two women – were treated for minor injuries and allowed to go home, a hospital spokesman said.  

Those who were released from Andrew Fleming Hospital were: Joan and Jean; John Featherstone and Mark Thorogood, and the rider of the motorcycle, whose name was unavailable last night. 

The crashes happened shortly after 9am when the fire started in the vlei, south-east of Lewisam shops, and spread to the shopping centre and the main road. 

It burned furiously, said eyewitnesses. A fire department vehicle arrived quickly on the scene, but an hour later the fire had scorched the winter veld and spread to the green grass, beside the main road.  

A black pall of smoke, 100m long and “so thick you couldn’t see a flare in it”, rose and blanketed both lanes of the highway. It totally obscured drivers’ vision. 

In 12-second interval, vehicles smashed into each other. 

As visibility returned after the smoke cleared, spectators were shocked by the carnage. 

Three wrecked cars and a military truck were joined together, while on the side of the road a smashed Suzuki motorcycle lay wrecked. 

Amid the devastation, injured people groaned in shock and pain.  

The front vehicle in the chaos was a bakery van, driven by an African. He said he had slowed down to 20 km/h, when he entered the smoke haze. 

The driver of the next vehicle, a mine protected, troop-carrying crocodile, said he had also slowed down and hardly felt the impact of hitting the van.  

He was equally unaware of the white Ford Zephyr which crashed into his rear. The Zephyr itself, however ferrying two students to an exam, went in and under the back of the truck slicing its roof off.  

The occupants, Mr Featherstone and Mr Thorogood, showed more concern about the exam they were missing than their apparent facial injuries.  

The fourth vehicle was the Melton’s blue Datsun 120Y. The cyclist was the last victim into the fray. He hit the Datsun. 

Police, fire tenders, ambulances and towing vehicles were on the scene in minutes but failed to disentangle the cars for almost two hours.  

The pile-up caused considerable traffic blockage, a mechanic from Lewisam garage said. Cars later had to use the cycle lane service roads on the side of the Enterprise Road.  

LESSONS FOR TODAY 

 People should avoid starting bush fires especially during fire seasons when fires can spread rapidly due to the dry conditions. 

 In Zimbabwe, the fire season starts from this month and runs up to October. 

 It is essential that people ensure that they create fireguards and enact teams that help to put out fires before they spread. 

Motorists should exercise extreme caution especially when driving through areas affected by veld fires.