Horror on N17: Man dies after hatchback rolls several times in crash with truck - IOL

The wreckage of a hatchback after it collided with a truck and rolled several times on the N17.

A man believed to be in his 20s died after the hatchback he was driving, carrying four other men, collided with a truck and rolled several times before coming to rest in the middle of the N17 freeway near the Rondebult Road on-ramp in Ekurhuleni.

The vehicle had crashed into the rear of a truck-trailer, commonly known as a superlink, in the early hours of Friday, September 25, according to the City of Ekurhuleni Disaster and Emergency Management Services (DEMS).

The crash involved the light motor vehicle and the articulated truck-trailer on the eastbound carriageway of the N17.

Authorities are investigating the cause of the crash.

Ekurhuleni EMS spokesperson William Ntladi said DEMS received the call at 3:30a.m. and immediately dispatched firefighting and rescue teams to the scene.

“On arrival, a hatchback light motor vehicle with five occupants was found to have rolled several times before landing in the middle of the N17 freeway just after the Rondebult Road on-ramp after crashing into the rear of a truck-trailer,” Ntladi said.

One male passenger, believed to have been the driver, was found trapped inside the wreckage with severe injuries. Paramedics declared him dead at the scene.

The four other occupants, all men, sustained serious but stable injuries and were transported by ambulance to nearby medical facilities.

Ntladi said the truck driver was unharmed.

Two lanes of the freeway were temporarily closed to traffic while rescue operations were under way.

The DEMS rescue team used specialised hydraulic rescue equipment, commonly known as the Jaws of Life, to access the wreckage and recover the deceased.

“The scene was handed over to law enforcement agencies for further investigation and scene rehabilitation,” Ntladi said.

The damaged hatchback lies on the N17 after the vehicle collided with a truck and overturned several times.

Meanwhile, five people died after a minibus taxi collided with a Mercedes-Benz sedan, overturned and caught fire at the intersection of Pretoria Main Road and Maxwell Drive in Waterfall, Midrand.

The crash occurred on Tuesday evening, the Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department (JMPD) confirmed.

JMPD spokesperson Superintendent Xolani Fihla said law enforcement officers and emergency services responded to the scene of the two-vehicle collision.

“Regrettably, five fatalities have been confirmed on scene from the minibus taxi,” Fihla said.

He said the condition of the occupants of the Mercedes-Benz sedan had yet to be confirmed as emergency responders continued working at the scene.

The intersection was closed in all directions, causing major traffic delays in Midrand and Waterfall during the evening peak period.