N3 crash

N3 crash: Truck ‘surfer’ rides wave of death on Van Reenen’s Pass

A truck “surfer” picked the wrong day, time and heavy vehicle on the N3 for his dangerous high speed activity on Wednesday.

N3 crash

A truck ‘surfer’ and a truck driver both lost their lives in an accident on the N3 on Van Reenen’s Pass on Wednesday night.

Emer-G-Med paramedics spokesperson Kyle Van Reenen said paramedics had responded to the scene of the accident at around 10pm on Wednesday.

“Emer-G-Med responded to the scene of a fatal heavy motor vehicle collision on the N3 national highway.  On arrival on scene on the Johannesburg bound carriageway in the vicinity of  van Reenen,  paramedics found two articulated vehicles had collided,” Van Reenen said. 

“One of the vehicles rear ended the other, causing the driver to lose control of his vehicle which careened off the roadway, smashing into the barrier.  The driver and only occupant of the vehicle was found to have sustained fatal injuries and was declared deceased on arrival,” he added.

Van Reenen said that upon further inspection of the N3 accident scene, the body of a second crash victim, a truck ‘surfer’ had been found.

“On further inspection a second male was found pinned  between the two wreckages. Reports from the scene suggest the man to have been truck surfing at the time of the collision,” he said.

Truck ‘surfing’ is an act where pedestrians climb onto the rear of heavy duty vehicles in order to hitch rides without the driver of the vehicle knowing of their presence.

“The man was found to be deceased on arrival of paramedics.  The roadway remained closed for several hours to allow for emergency services to clear the scene  and the South African Police Services to conduct the necessary investigations” Van Reenen said.