A truck driver suffered severe burns after a diesel tanker crashed and caught alight on the N3 southbound near the Peter Brown Drive off-ramp in Pietermaritzburg on Thursday morning.
Mi7 Emergency Medical Services said it received reports of the serious crash shortly after 10 am and immediately dispatched several units to the scene.
The N3 was completely closed following the crash, with traffic already backed up. The congestion prevented an Mi7 Advanced Life Support unit from reaching the scene by road.
Paramedics were forced to leave their response vehicle behind and walk more than a kilometre with their medical equipment to reach the injured driver.
On arrival, they found the diesel-carrying truck well engulfed in flames.
According to Mi7 EMS, bystanders and fellow truck drivers had managed to pull the driver from the burning truck and move him down the embankment.
Paramedics followed down the embankment and found the driver suffering from severe burns. He was stabilised at the scene before being transported to a specialist hospital for further treatment.
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Pietermaritzburg firefighters were called in to battle the blaze, while Road Traffic Inspectorate (RTI) officials worked to clear traffic from the immediate area because of the danger posed by the burning diesel tanker.
The incident resulted in a major disruption to traffic on the N3, with motorists urged to avoid the affected section and give emergency services room to operate.
The crash also highlights the risks faced by fellow motorists and truck drivers who stop at serious crashes to assist those trapped in burning vehicles.
The driver’s current condition has not been confirmed.
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