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N1 closed after truck disaster
19/03/2008 09:32 - (SA)
Verashni Pillay
Cape Town - A car was suspected to have been flattened on the N1 on Wednesday morning after a truck overturned, closing the highway and backing up traffic for hours.
The truck took the slipway off of the M5 on to the N1 too fast at about 06:15 causing its load to shift, Cape Town Traffic Services spokesperson, Searle Johannes told News24.
The large shipping container it was carrying on a trailer landed on top of what Traffic Services are suspecting is a car.
"The container is so flat on the ground that I can't tell you with certainty that there is a vehicle underneath it, but that is what we suspect," said Johannes.
Motorists on their way to work via the N1 were stuck on the highway for hours on Wednesday morning and Johannes said the highway would be closed for at least another hour.
Disaster Management services, Metro Rescue, Cape Town Traffic Services as well as the police were on the scene, trying to assess the situation. A Metro Rescue crane was trying to lift the heavy container up.
The container was still sealed and was carrying wine for export.
The truck driver suffered minor injuries to his left arm in the accident and was rushed to hospital. The truck was towed away earlier but the road remained closed on Wednesday morning as various rescue services worked to clear the container.
It was not known whether there were people trapped under the container.
Motorists on their way to work told News24 that alternative routes into the city centre from the northern suburbs were completely blocked with traffic. "I've moved maybe 3km in the last hour," one motorist said.
- News24
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