A truck driver evaded death by a whisker when his eight-ton truck overturned and slid almost 20m before ploughing into a house in Buitenkant Street on Thursday afternoon.

Loaded with sand, the truck collided with an Opel Corsa bakkie before overturning, spilling its load on the road and bursting its diesel tank.

“This road has never been safe for anyone,” said Peter Steenberg, a neighbour.

“Accidents happen every day here and nothing has been done about it,” he said. “Cars speed down here and it’s dangerous.”

EMS rescuers had to cut the cabin open to remove the driver from the debris.

EMS spokeswoman Keri Davids said the driver had facial injuries and a possible spinal injury.

Fire services platoon commander Sharon Haarnoff said they had to use some of the sand from the truck to stop the diesel flowing further downhill.

“When we got here the driver was badly injured but still talking,” she said.

“We cut the cabin in half and pulled him out. The tank was leaking heavily and diesel was flowing, so we had to stop it using sand.”

The driver was taken to the Cape Town Medi-Clinic. No one else was injured.

The owners of the house were away on holiday.

Meanwhile, 17 people were hospitalised after suffering multiple fractures, abdominal injuries and bruises when a minibus taxi and a car collided in Main Road, Hout Bay, on Thursday morning.

Davids said rescuers had to treat the patients on the side of the road before they were transported by EMS and ER24 ambulances to Groote Schuur Hospital, Victoria Hospital, Constantiaberg Medi-Clinic and the Retreat Community Health Centre.

“Two adults were in a critical condition with serious abdominal wounds and fractures. Four other people suffered serious injuries and complained of back pains, and 11 others suffered minor bruises, lacerations and abrasions,” said Davids.

 

 

Source: http://www.iol.co.za