Fire department battles 3 hours to free accident victims
Sadly one passenger was fatally injured in the truck collision
One person was killed and three others injured when a truck rear-ended another truck, which had broken down on the N3 North after Van Buuren Road in Bedfordview, on Friday afternoon just after noon.
Max Cohen of Emer-G-med said paramedics arrived to find that the cabin of the truck had been completely crushed. The driver was able to free himself from the wreckage and was walking around with only minor injuries.
“Paramedics could not see the three other occupants but were able to verbally communicate with two of the three, leading to the suspicion that the third was either critically injured or deceased,” Cohen said.
Ekurhuleni Fire Department’s heavy rescue unit was called to the scene to assist in the extrication of the entrapped occupants.
Paramedics, with limited access to the patients, began treatment, while the fire department used the jaws of life and other more specialised hydraulic rescue equipment to cut the passengers from the crumpled cabin.
After about three hours paramedics were able to properly access the cabin, finding that one passenger had succumbed to his injuries.
The two others sustained moderate to serious injuries, with one requiring advanced life support intervention after having sustained multiple fractures.
“Once successfully extricated, the patients were further stabilised before being transported to a nearby specialist trauma centre for further care,” Cohen said.
