Truck driver in N1 horror crash dies in hospital

Cape Town  – The truck driver critically injured in the horror accident on the N1 at the Koeberg Interchange in Maitland, Cape Town, earlier on Wednesday has died in hospital.

The driver’s truck overturned and its container landed on a passenger vehicle, crushing it and killing the two occupants.

ER24 spokesperson Russel Meiring has confirmed that the truck driver has also succumbed to his injuries.

The crash, on the N1 FW de Klerk Boulevard inbound just beyond the Koeberg Interchange caused major delays as traffic was diverted via Milnerton and Paarden Island. 

The accident scene has been cleared and the roadway was reopened early this afternoon.

Earlier on Wednesday Meiring described the scene: “ER24 paramedics, along with Metro and Life Healthcare, arrived on the scene to find the truck and trailer in the fast lane of the highway. A light motor vehicle had been completely crushed beneath a container that had been on the trailer.

“Paramedics found the driver of the truck hanging partially outside his vehicle. The man was quickly extricated from the vehicle and assessed. Paramedics found that the man had sustained a serious head injury and was in a critical condition.

“The man was immediately treated for his injuries and provided with advanced life support interventions. Once treated, the man was transported to Vincent Palotti Hospital for urgent care.

“Metro rescue services had to use a specialised crane the remove the container off of the light motor vehicle, an operation lasting some time. Once the container had been lifted, paramedics found the bodies of two men lying trapped inside their vehicle. Unfortunately, both men had already succumbed to their multiple injuries. Nothing more could be done for them and they were declared dead.

“Local authorities were on the scene to determine the exact cause of the collision,” Meiring said. IOL