A series of videos shared with SA Trucker has raised questions after a truck seen travelling erratically near the Tugela River was later involved in a crash at the Wilge Toll Plaza near Villiers.
The first video, recorded by another truck driver at around 09:30 on Monday, shows a container truck attempting to overtake a side tipper. The manoeuvre appears unsuccessful, with the truck moving back into the left lane before the recording driver passes it.
During the footage, the recording driver can be heard expressing concern about the truck’s movements, claiming that the container truck driver appeared to be “dozing off”.
He said he saw the truck struggling to maintain a steady line, at one stage appearing to drift dangerously close to the side tipper.
According to the driver who recorded the footage, the truck’s behaviour raised concerns that the driver may have been fatigued. However, there is currently no official confirmation that fatigue played any role in what happened later.
Approximately four hours later, a second video shows the same truck after it crashed into the Wilge Toll Plaza near Villiers.
The circumstances leading up to the crash remain unclear, and the cause has not yet been confirmed by authorities.
The two videos, when viewed together, paint a concerning picture and have prompted questions about whether the earlier driving behaviour may have been a warning sign of trouble ahead.
At this stage, however, any link between the truck’s movements near Estcourt and the crash at Wilge Toll Plaza remains speculative.
Fatigue remains one of the biggest safety risks in the road freight industry. Long hours behind the wheel, inadequate rest and demanding schedules can impair concentration and reaction times, increasing the likelihood of serious incidents.
SA Trucker will update this story should further information about the cause of the crash become available.
Watch both videos below and tell us what you think may have happened between Estcourt and Wilge:
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