A male driver in his 20s died and four passengers were seriously injured when a hatchback collided with a superlink truck trailer on the N17 freeway eastbound in the early hours of September 25.

City of Ekurhuleni Disaster and Emergency Management Services (DEMS) received the emergency call at 03:30 and immediately dispatched firefighting and rescue teams to the scene.

Upon arrival, rescuers found a hatchback with five occupants that had rolled several times before landing in the middle of the freeway, just after the Rondebult Road on-ramp, after colliding with the tail end of a truck trailer.

ALSO READ: Katlehong scholar transport crash leaves 19 learners injured

One man, identified as the driver, was trapped inside the wreckage with fatal injuries and was declared dead on the scene by paramedics.

DEMS spokesperson William Ntladi said four other male occupants suffered serious but stable injuries and were transported by ambulances to nearby medical facilities.

The truck driver was unharmed.

“DEMS rescue team had to use specialised hydraulic rescue equipment, Jaws of Life, to access and recover the deceased from the wreckage,” Ntladi said.

ALSO READ: Passenger killed after sedan crashes into truck on N12

Two lanes of the freeway were temporarily closed to traffic during the rescue operation.

Ntladi said law enforcement agencies took over the scene for investigation and rehabilitation.