Accident leaves one dead, one seriously injured

Tragedy struck on Friday 16 May, when a truck accident on the Zebediela-road, about 10km from Mokopane, claimed the life of one man and left the other severely injured.
It is not clear what exactly caused the accident in the early hours of Friday, but the driver apparently lost control of the vehicle, causing it to overturn and slide into the bushes and trees next to the road. According to a witness who was on the scene, it seems that the cab of the truck crumpled under the impact and the weight of the toppled trees it slid into.
Paramedics arrived on the scene at about 06:20 and struggled to save the men trapped in the cab of the truck. Eventually the
paramedics were assisted by Mogalakwena Platinum Mine, who provided a crane to lift the truck cab, to enable the emergency medical services personnel to free the victims.
According to an eyewitness, it took paramedics nearly four hours to remove the victims from the wreck.
One man, situated on the driver seat, passed away on the accident scene and the other was taken to Polokwane Provincial hospital where he is being treated for ‘crush pressure injuries’ to his left leg and head.
The truck was carrying a large load of very long wooden planks, which spilled into the field as the truck overturned.