An accident this morning on the N3 between Lynnfield Park and Ashburton left a driver entrapped and another with minor injuries after three trucks and a car collided on the Pietermaritzburg bound highway.
ER24 paramedics arrived on the scene and found two trucks in the left hand lane with a light motor vehicle crushed in between the two trucks. A third truck that was involved was found a short distance from the collision. Traffic was severely affected due to this accident and the road was closed at the Lynnfield Park off ramp. All light motor vehicles were diverted off the freeway and taken along the R103 whilst trucks were stacked until the freeway was reopened.
The truck driver that was trapped inside the cabin was cut and extricated from the truck with the Jaws of Life and other hydraulic equipment. Advanced Life Support Paramedics intervened at the scene due to his injuries that he had sustained from the accident. Once freed, the patient was placed on a specialised board and removed from the wreckage to protect his spine. He was transported to Pietermaritzburg Medi-Clinic in a serious but stable condition.
The drivers of the other truck and the light motor vehicle were lucky to escape with only minor injuries. The cause of the accident is still unclear but the necessary authorities were on the scene and would be investigating the incident.
Derrick Banks
ER24
