A man in his 20s died and four others were seriously injured when a hatchback collided with a superlink truck trailer on the N17 eastbound near the Rondebult Road off-ramp in Ekurhuleni early this morning (September 25).

The City of Ekurhuleni Disaster and Emergency Management Services (DEMS) received an emergency call at about 03:30 and dispatched firefighting and rescue teams to the scene.

According to the Germiston City News rescuers found a hatchback carrying five people that had rolled several times before coming to rest in the middle of the freeway after colliding with the rear of a truck trailer.

One man, identified as the driver, was trapped in the wreckage and had sustained fatal injuries. He was declared dead at the scene by paramedics.

DEMS spokesperson William Ntladi said the four other male occupants suffered serious but stable injuries and were transported by ambulance to nearby medical facilities. The truck driver was not injured.

“The DEMS rescue team had to use specialised hydraulic rescue equipment, the Jaws of Life, to access and recover the deceased from the wreckage,” Ntladi said.

Two lanes of the freeway were temporarily closed to traffic while emergency teams worked at the scene.

Ntladi said law enforcement agencies took over the scene for further investigation and road rehabilitation.

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