A heart-stopping video circulating on social media has highlighted the importance of road safety at accident scenes.

According to an article published by The Witness, the video shows two people checking on a vehicle after an accident on the N3 Peter Brown freeway in Pietermaritzburg, only to narrowly avoid being hit by another vehicle that crashes into the barrier and spins out of control.

Todays Crash Peter Brown. Thanks to god our towing member and the lady was saved. This video is to show the public how irresponsible drivers we have on our roads. Then we have people blaming the police, the government and all traffic officials. We always preaching about road… pic.twitter.com/L3euifaomT

— NANCY PALIEN (@NancyPalien1) January 13, 2025

Roland Robertson, medic and spokesperson for Midlands Emergency Management Services, says the incident is a stark reminder of the dangers of approaching accident scenes, especially in adverse weather conditions.

“Motorists need to exercise extreme caution when approaching accident scenes. The roads are slippery, and visibility is reduced, making it difficult to slow down or react to unexpected situations.”

Robertson emphasises the importance of cordoning off accident scenes until they are cleared.

“We have requested that the road be closed or that trucks be stopped at the arrestor bed by the RTI to prevent further accidents.”

The incident is one of several that have occurred on the N3 Peter Brown freeway in recent days.

In another incident yesterday, a driver was struck by a passing vehicle after an accident. Tragically, one person was killed in a crash on the N3 near Peter Brown Drive.

According to Mi7 National Group’s Emergency Medical Services, the driver of a vehicle lost control, causing it to overturn, ejecting the driver onto the freeway. The driver was subsequently struck by a passing vehicle and declared dead at the scene.

A passenger in the vehicle was stabilised and taken to hospital. Shortly after the accident, a second crash occurred when a light delivery vehicle collided with the initial overturned wreck.