A tragic accident near Estcourt has claimed the life of one person and left four others seriously injured after a tanker truck collided with a minibus taxi on the R103 at the Boesmansriver bridge on Saturday night.
Details emerging from the scene suggest a devastating sequence of events.
According to a truck driver who arrived at the site just moments after the crash, the truck driver was found trapped in his cab, highlighting the severity of the collision.
In the chaos following the accident, concerns were raised about a missing passenger from the taxi.
There were fears that the individual might have fallen into the river below as a result of the impact.
Read | Truck crashes into broken down taxi killing 3 on N3 in Estcourt
These fears were tragically confirmed when a police search and rescue team discovered a man’s body in the waters beneath the bridge the following morning.
The taxi driver, who is reportedly the older brother of the deceased, was among those transferred to Greys Hospital in Pietermaritzburg for treatment.
The taxi was reportedly en route from Mngwenya to Estcourt carrying two occupants, while the truck had three occupants at the time of the collision.
Speaking on behalf of the family, a spokesperson expressed gratitude for the recovery of the body despite the anguish of the situation. “Although this has been a painful experience for us,” they said, “we find solace in knowing that our loved one has been found.”
