[DURBAN – 27 OCTOBER 2011 AT 15H30]
A truck driver is in a serious condition after he lost control his vehicle and went off the N3 Durban bound just past Shongweni and down an embankment landing on its roof, entrapping the driver inside this afternoon.
ER24 paramedics from Hillcrest, the Fire Department and SAPS Search and Rescue were the first to arrive on the scene. From the road side they could see the articulated truck lying upside down and could hear screams of help coming from the cabin of the truck. Emergency personnel made their way down very carefully with rescue and medical equipment. The driver was mechanically entrapped and the Jaws of Life and other hydraulic equipment were used to extricate the patient from the vehicle. Advanced Life Support intervention was used to stabilise the patient further as it was suspected he may have suffered a head injury and possible neck and back injuries. Once freed the patient was placed in a specialised basket and carried up the embankment by the emergency personnel. The patient was transported to Hillcrest Private Hospital in a serious but stable condition.
It is believed that the driver lost control due to a possible mechanical problem and was not able to keep the vehicle on the road. The driver veered off the road and down the embankment. The local authorities were on the scene and would investigate the accident further.
Derrick Banks, ER24
