A motorcyclist was seriously injured in a crash on the N3 Durban-bound before the Hammarsdale offramp on Saturday morning, with dramatic footage showing just how narrowly he escaped being run over by a truck.
The crash happened shortly after 10:30am when, according to the footage, the biker attempted to overtake and subsequently collided with the rear of a bakkie.
The impact sent the biker crashing onto the roadway directly into the path of a recording truck.
The truck driver was faced with an extremely dangerous situation but reacted quickly, taking evasive action and narrowly avoiding running over the fallen biker.
The biker was left lying in the roadway with serious injuries.
ALS Paramedics from its Cato Ridge operation responded to the scene and treated the injured man before a decision was made to call in the Netcare911 Aeromedical Helicopter.
The N3 had to be closed to allow the helicopter to land, with the patient airlifted to a Level 1 trauma facility in Pietermaritzburg.
ALS Paramedics said no other injuries were reported in the crash.
The highway remained closed for several hours, causing severe traffic disruptions in the area.
Watch: Dashcam Footage of Serious Truck Crash on N3 at Ashburton
The exact circumstances leading up to the collision remain under investigation.
The footage serves as a sobering reminder of how quickly an overtaking manoeuvre can go wrong, particularly around heavy vehicles. It also highlights the importance of truck drivers remaining alert and prepared to react when something goes wrong in front of them.
In this case, the truck driver’s quick reaction appears to have prevented an already serious crash from becoming a fatal one.
Watch the video below:
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