A Zalawi Haulage Ltd truck driver was killed when his truck crashed on the N3 at the Peacevale off ramp in KwaZulu-Natal on Monday afternoon.
The driver who has been identified as Mr Panco Chisala, unfortunately lost his life in the accident.
SA Trucker shared videos of the crash scene on Monday which showed the wrecked truck on the roadway and the cab below the bridge.
The MAN truck’s cab broke loose with the driver trapped inside and plunged 50m into a river below the freeway.
The Specialised Tactical Accident Rescue Team (START) dispatched its medical team after receiving a report of the accident.
“On arrival, members found that a truck heading from Durban towards Pietermaritzburg had lost control, crashing into the side of the bridge.
“This resulted in the cab pulling away from the truck and going over the side of the bridge, dropping about 50m into the river below, leaving the trailer and the truck on the bridge.”
According to START, the team found the cab, in which the driver was trapped, was unstable.
“A decision was made to activate the high angle team and partner Netcare 911 to the incident.
“Sadly, the driver succumbed to his injuries. Specialised hydraulic rescue tools and ropes were used to extract the driver to a safe location where the scene was then handed to SAPS for further investigation.”
