Johannesburg - An early-morning thunderstorm caused mayhem on Joburg roads on Friday with several accidents creating a traffic nightmare.
Motorists driving along the M1 North had to weave past chicken pieces littered across the highway after a truck carrying the load lost control and smacked the barrier.
The obstruction just before the Jan Smuts off-ramp, coupled with the heavy rain and hail, caused a massive gridlock with motorists reporting severe traffic jams extending as far as Soweto - almost 20km away.
The driver of the Chubby Chick Farm Fresh Poultry vehicle apparently lost control of the truck in the wet weather and low visibility and crashed into several of the embankments on the far left of the highway.
The entire front of the vehicle was smashed, with the front wheels sheared from the cab.
The rear of the truck was smashed on impact, bursting the doors open and releasing the load of chickens, which were strewn over the road.
Several emergency management service vehicles, ambulances, a fire truck and JMPD vehicles were on the scene. Officials worked hard to control the traffic and clear the scene.
Although this obstruction frustrated motorists, some couldn’t resist the urge to gaze in amazement and snap a few pictures.
One motorist actually stopped on the yellow line at the right-hand side of the highway to observe the scene.
“You don’t see something like this every day; I hope no one was seriously hurt,” he told The Star.
JMPD spokesman Chief Superintendent Wayne Minnaar said the driver and two passengers were taken to hospital, but he was unable to verify the extent of the injuries they sustained.
In three other storm-related accidents, one in northern Joburg and the other in Vereeniging, 34 people were injured.
Emer-G-Med spokeswoman Danielle Dooley said a multi-vehicle accident on the M1 North before the Woodmead off-ramp left 16 people injured.
In an accident on the R59, near Ring Road in Vereeniging, 14 people were injured when a minibus taxi overturned.
“It seems the driver wanted to take an off-ramp and overturned as he attempted to do so,” said Netcare911 spokeswoman Santi Steinmann.
“When paramedics arrived, they found 14 of the minibus taxi occupants had sustained minor to moderate injuries.”
Steinmann added that no other vehicles were involved in the accident.
“Patients were transported to hospitals around the area,” she said.
In the Joburg CBD, on Albert Road, a car skipped a stop street and a taxi crashed into it.
“Four people were moderately injured including the driver. EMS were on the scene treating them,” said a First Road official who asked not to be named.
Meanwhile, Weather SA forecaster Mbavhalelo Maliage said a cut-off low pressure system was behind the thunderstorms and scattered showers experienced around Gauteng this morning.
“It’s not totally abnormal for this time of year, but it’s a little more rain than normal.”
She said wet and cold conditions were expected to continue into Saturday with the wet weather clearing by Sunday.
Temperatures are expected to be in the mid to late teens.
Commuter Andrea Bryce said it took her an hour and 45 minutes to get into the Joburg CBD where she works.
“There were two floods, an accident and problems with traffic lights all along Smit Street.
“It was stressful, but what can you do?” she said.