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Aftermath of the crash after the Massyn Vervoer truck driver left the wheel to try and answer his cell phone. Image: Arrive Alive

Watch: Driver rolls truck while trying to reach his cell phone [video]

“I was trying to get my phone on the bed behind me. It was ringing. I did this while I was driving. I’m sorry about this I should have stopped the truck.” – Driver’s police statement

driver

Aftermath of the crash after the Massyn Vervoer truck driver left the wheel to try and answer his cell phone. Image: Arrive Alive

Dramatic dashcam footage shows the moment a distracted driver abandons the wheel to reach his cell phone in the cabin behind him.

While the driver only steps away from his controls for a couple of seconds, the results are disastrous. Arrive Alive obtained the footage which shows the distracted drive get up from behind the wheel to retrieve something from cabin behind him – all while the truck is in motion.

Driver: “I was trying to get my phone on the bed behind me”

By the time the driver returns to his seat, it’s all too late. The massive truck has already veered off to the side of the highway. The driver attempts to countersteer as the vehicle leaves the asphalt and rolls off-road.

As reported by News24, Arrive Alive made the video public in an effort to warn other motorists of succumbing to distractions while operating a motor vehicle. Advocate Johan Jonck confirmed that the video had initially been sent to the group by a concerned citizen, stating:

“The video and photos were shared on the Arrive Alive website by a concerned citizen. It is extremely scary to consider the levels of inattention on our roads.

This emphasises the importance of continued driver training for drivers of all classes of vehicles to avoid distractions while on the road.”

Watch: Driver rolls truck while trying to reach his cell phone

The totalled truck belonged to transport logistics company Massyn Vervoer. Frans Massyn, HR and Financial Manager of the company, confirmed that the driver had been found guilty of gross negligence, through an internal disciplinary process, saying:

“It is simply unheard of that someone will move away from his driving position to do something else. He was dismissed immediately from the company. We have also opened a criminal case against him for negligent driving at the SAPS.”

Massyn confirmed that the vehicle was travelling around Middelburg when the accident occurred. The driver, who was transporting goods to Nelspruit, was uninjured in the crash. Luckily, no other vehicles or pedestrians were involved in the accident.