Young female lieutenant tries to save lives in Van Reenen
Army say female driver remained calm as vehicle's brakes failed
The army have given more details surrounding the tank accident on Van Reenen’s Pass on Friday. Speaking about the accident, army spokesperson Colonel Sidney Zeeman credited a young female lieutenant with preventing an even bigger disaster.
According to initial reports, the lieutenant was undergoing training and was driving the truck down Van Reenen’s Pass with an instructor. She missed a gear and the brakes overheated within seconds.
The courageous officer, realising the danger the truck and its 65-ton load posed, drove into an arrestor bed in a desperate attempt to stop the truck.
The momentum of the truck sent the truck through the arrestor bed and into the northbound lane. The tank toppled off onto its turret.
These training exercises are part of promotional training for young lieutenants who want to be promoted to captain. Both instructor and pupil were slightly injured during the crash.
“Several lieutenants are currently undergoing tank transport training,” added army spokesperson Colonel Zeeman.
The female officer has been praised for her calm handling of the incident.
A team of experts from both the private sector and the SANDF were assembled to remove the tank from the N3 northbound lane.
The removal operation by the SANDF late on Saturday afternoon was carried out without a hitch.
An SANDF recovery team, together with the help of a private breakdown service, got the tank back on its wheels again and onto a truck to be taken to an undisclosed destination. An investigation into the incident will be carried out by the army.
Related stories:
Battle tank still at Van Reenen
SANDF main battle tank damaged in Van Reenen crash
