Durban - THE driver of an articulated truck that ploughed through roadside vendors’ stalls and eight vehicles, leaving a trail of death, horrific injuries and destruction in its wake, is thought to have been drunk at the wheel.
The accident in Jozini, in the far north of the province, happened just after midday on Wednesday.
In a statement, the Department of Transport said preliminary investigations revealed that the driver of the truck lost control of the vehicle and crashed into the vehicles, which included two buses, one minibus taxi, one bakkie and a Toyota Condor.
The truck driver, who survived the horrific crash, was detained by police and a blood sample was taken from him.
Sources at the scene said it was suspected that he might have been drunk as he smelled strongly of alcohol.
Police spokesperson Captain Nqobile Gwala said Jozini police had opened a charge of culpable homicide following the accident.
“It is alleged that today (yesterday) at 1pm, the truck driver knocked (into) eight vehicles and pedestrians in the Jozini CBD. A total of eight people died at the scene and others were rushed to hospital for medical attention.
“The circumstances surrounding the incident are still being investigated,” Gwala said.
She said the truck had careered into a market where vendors, who were mostly women, sold handmade crafts.
“There’s just blood all over,” Gwala said.
KZN Emergency Services spokesperson Rob McKenzie said the truck had also hit pedestrians in the street.
“Paramedics are treating several patients, and there have been several fatalities. The cause of the accident is being investigated by the authorities,” he said.
McKenzie later said EMS paramedics, along with several other ambulance services, had treated 32 people.
“Many were in a serious and critical (condition),” he said. One person died later in hospital.
Transport MEC Bheki Ntuli visited Jozini yesterday, where he said he was appalled to learn that the truck driver was suspected to have been driving under the influence of alcohol.
“Alcohol has contributed immensely to bad driver behaviour, which leads to traffic violations, road crashes and the increasing road death toll.
“This blatant disregard for the rules of the road is to blame for the deaths of many breadwinners on our roads, which has a huge cost on the economy,” he said.
Ntuli said he was alarmed by the increase in car crashes and fatalities on roads in the province since the country moved to level 3 of the national lockdown.
The accident comes after the sale of alcohol, which had been banned under levels 5 and 4, was reintroduced along with the relaxation of other lockdown regulations.