Motorists travelling on the N3 southbound at Town Hill, just after the Peter Brown Avenue off-ramp, were left shaken on Monday afternoon after a runaway truck lost control and crashed into the barriers, spilling its load of copper across the roadway.
According to eyewitness footage circulating online, the truck, believed to be from Zambia, appeared to suffer brake failure while descending the notorious Town Hill stretch.
The dramatic incident was captured by a security guard travelling in another truck behind the runaway vehicle. In the video, the truck can be seen passing the vehicle from which the footage was recorded at very high speed.
Moments before the truck shot past, two cars had overtaken the recording truck and moved back into the lane ahead. As the runaway truck closed the gap at alarming speed, it narrowly avoided colliding with the vehicles.
One of the drivers in front appears to have noticed something was wrong after checking behind them and quickly moved left to create space for the truck to pass. That quick decision may have prevented what could have been a far more serious crash involving multiple vehicles.
The out-of-control truck continued down the hill before eventually crashing into roadside barriers.
The impact caused its load of copper to scatter across the highway, leaving debris spread over multiple lanes and creating a massive mess on the busy route.
Emergency services and traffic authorities responded to the scene to secure the area and manage traffic while the roadway was cleared.
Town Hill has long been known among truck drivers as one of the more demanding sections on the N3 corridor, particularly for heavy vehicles descending toward Pietermaritzburg. Brake failures and runaway incidents remain a serious concern if vehicles are not properly maintained or drivers fail to use the correct braking techniques.
Authorities are expected to investigate the circumstances surrounding the crash. Motorists were urged to remain cautious when travelling through the area while cleanup operations continued.
Watch the video below:
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