Four lanes on N12 East closed following fatal truck pile-up
The jaws-of-life was used to free one driver before he was transported to hospital
A man believed to be a truck driver was killed and another was hospitalised following a three-truck pile-up on the N12 East on Monday morning.
A third truck driver and his crew member escaped without injuries. The accident occurred between the Reading interchange and Voortrekker off-ramp in Alberton.
William Ntladi of Ekurhuleni emergency services said rescue teams from Alberton and Thokoza fire stations responded to the scene just before 11am. On arrival, one of the three trucks was on its roof with the driver still trapped behind the steering wheel.
The jaws-of-life was used to free the driver before he was transported to hospital, said Ntladi.
The other person, believed to be a driver as well, was lying motionlessly on the ground outside the truck. He was declared dead after unsuccessful resuscitation.
The two crews of the third truck escaped without injuries and with minimal damage to their vehicle.
Four of the five lanes on the freeway had to be closed for traffic for the duration of rescue and recovery operations.
The cause of the crash is not yet known.
