According to Kobus Myburgh of Hazyview Traffic Control, the sugar truck’s brakes apparently failed, causing him to miss the slipway towards Hazyview. The Bubb family, who were on their way to drop their child off a nursery school were waiting at the T-junction to turn and saw the truck drive over the stop, overturn and bump their car off the road. No-one was seriously injured.
The officers were on the scene in minutes but passers-by were already scooping up sugar by the buckets.
One of the road lanes had to be closed for about four hours while the truck was removed, caused traffic to severely pile up and motorists to sit in the queue for some time.
Myburg suggested that a runaway truck ramp, runaway truck lane, escape lane, emergency escape ramp or truck arrester bed should be considered. This will enable vehicles that experience brake problems to safely stop and prevent a similar accident from occuring again, this time with fatal consequences.
