N4 articulated truck crash: Passenger found dead beneath rear axle
A fatal head-on truck crash on the N4 left two drivers trapped and one passenger dead.
A fatal head-on collision between two heavy motor vehicles claimed the life of one passenger and left two drivers and five other passengers seriously injured early this morning, July 21.
Emer-G-Med’s responders were dispatched to the scene on the N4, between Waterval Onder and the Five Arch Bridge, at about 06:20.
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On arrival, paramedics found that two trucks had collided head-on. Both drivers were severely trapped in their vehicles, and five passengers from one of the trucks had been ejected during the impact.
“We immediately initiated treatment on one of the truck drivers and requested assistance from Belfast Fire and Rescue to help with the extrication,” said Martin Jeffrey of Emer-G-Med.
Belfast Fire and Rescue used the Jaws of Life to free the trapped drivers. While the rescue was under way, government emergency medical services arrived and treated the five ejected passengers, all of whom were subsequently transported to nearby hospitals.
“By the time the driver first was extricated, Aeromed 4 had landed, and the patient was handed over to the flight crew,” Jeffrey added. The driver was flown to Mediclinic Nelspruit for further treatment of critical head and abdominal injuries.
After the helicopter had departed, Emer-G-Med was informed that the second truck driver had also been freed.
He sustained lower limb fractures and was stabilised on scene before being transported to Rob Ferreira Hospital under advanced life support care.
As Van Wettens Towing began recovering one of the vehicles, a tragic discovery was made.
When the truck was pulled away from the roadside barrier, the body of a deceased male passenger was found between the rear axles.
He was declared dead on the scene by Emer-G-Med.
It was later confirmed that he was one of the passengers who had been ejected during the collision.
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The accident scene was subsequently handed over to the Waterval Boven SAPS and TRAC for further investigation and clean-up.
