VIDEO: One person dead in truck crash on M7
The truck was carrying hydrochloric acid, which spilled onto the road and caused a white mist around the truck.
ONE person died and another was seriously injured when the truck they were travelling lost control and overturned on the M7 south-bound joining Umbilo Road last night (Thursday, 12 May).
According Garrith Jamieson, operations director at Rescue Care, they received numerous calls about a truck that overturned and the chemicals it was carrying being spilled around 7pm.
“On arrival, paramedics found a white mist around the truck, later to be identified as hydrochloric acid, which the truck had been carrying. Paramedics had to wait for the Durban Fire Department, breathing apparatus sets were used to get close to the truck. One person was found just in front of the truck, while the other person remained trapped in the wreckage,” said Jamieson.
He added that paramedics removed the man who was severely injured from the truck. He was treated by advanced life support paramedics before being transported to a nearby facility.
“Paramedics waited while the Fire Department worked for more than an hour to free the trapped person in the wreckage. Once freed and removed from the hazard, the man was assessed but unfortunately had already succumbed to his injuries,” said Jamieson.
At this stage it is unclear what caused the collision, however SAPS members were on scene and will be investigating.
