One man has sustained severe injuries this afternoon when the truck he was driving veered off the N1 highway into trees.
The cause of the collision is still unknown, but it seems that the truck had lost control before jack-knifing and leaving the highway. The truck then collided with trees next to the road.
When ER24 paramedics arrived at the scene they could see that the collision was severe judging by the amount of damage sustained to the truck’s driver’s compartment. The trees had impaled the driver’s cab and had entrapped the single male occupant in the vehicle. The local fire department and multiple other rescue services used specialised hydraulic rescue equipment to cut the vehicle in order to free the injured man.
The man had sustained severe injuries to his lower extremities in the form of fractures as well as suspected back, neck and chest injuries. Due the injuries sustained and the distance to the nearest appropriate medical facility, on-scene paramedics promptly dispatched a medical helicopter to the scene.
The man was treated and stabilized at the scene before being airlifted to hospital. Local law enforcement authorities who attended the scene will be investigating the incident further.
Andre Visser, ER24
