A truck transporting chemicals crashed on the N3 in Pietermaritzburg, killing one person. Photo: Mi7 National Group
N3: Freak truck accident, chemical spill KILLS one, several others injured
A truck transporting chemicals lost control and crashed on the N3 in Pietermaritzburg on Friday. The accident left one person dead.
A truck transporting chemicals crashed on the N3 in Pietermaritzburg, killing one person. Photo: Mi7 National Group
A multiple-vehicle accident involving a truck killed one person and injured several others on the N3 near the Peter Brown interchange in Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal, on Friday night.
A truck carrying chemicals lost control and collided with the oncoming traffic barrier. Chemicals spilt across the freeway, causing traffic congestion and extensive delays in the southbound direction on the N3.
N3 carriageway affected in both directions
Paramedics also found a light motor vehicle between the medium and fast lanes on the northbound N3 carriageway. However, the cause of the accident was unclear.
READ MORE: Six learners killed, 13 injured in HORROR truck accident outside Mthatha
Mi7 Emergency Medical Services spokesperson Brandon Drinkwater said emergency responders also found a minibus taxi carrying passengers on arrival at the scene.
“There was one person [truck driver] deceased on scene, one [from the light motor vehicle] who suffered minor injuries but refused to go to the hospital. There were several people injured in the taxi.”
Mi7 Emergency Medical Services spokesperson Brandon Drinkwater
Traffic authorities cleared the crash site and cleaned up the chemical spill, reopening the southbound carriageway after several hours. However, there was still an extensive traffic backlog on the N3 Toll Route.
Pietermaritzburg police were on the scene to investigate the incident. Attempts to obtain comment were unsuccessful at the time of publication.
13 Injured in collision between taxi and light motor vehicle
Elsewhere, 13 people sustained minor to serious injuries in an accident involving a taxi and a light motor vehicle on the M4 Ruth First Freeway in Durban on Saturday, 18 June.
The first emergency responders who arrived on the scene found a female motorist with severe injuries trapped inside her vehicle.
ALS Paramedics Medical Services spokesperson Garrith Jamieson said paramedics used the Jaws of Life to free the woman. Emergency personnel later transported her to the Netcare Umhlanga Hospital, north of Durban.
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