A man was killed and a truck driver critically injured after a light motor vehicle travelling on the wrong side of the N3 collided with a car carrier near Pinetown, KwaZulu-Natal, late on Monday night.
The crash happened shortly after 23:30 on the Pietermaritzburg-bound carriageway of the N3, shortly before the Richmond Road off-ramp.
According to information surrounding the crash, the light motor vehicle was travelling on the wrong side of the highway when it collided with the car carrier.
The force of the collision caused the car carrier to lose control before it crashed into a bridge.
The driver of the light motor vehicle, a man believed to be in his 40s, sustained critical injuries in the collision. Paramedics assessed him at the scene but he was pronounced dead.
The impact also left the truck driver severely trapped inside the cabin of the car carrier.
Emergency crews were called to the scene, with the eThekwini Fire Department responding to assist with the rescue operation.
Firefighters worked for approximately two hours to free the trapped truck driver from the wreckage. During the rescue operation, Advanced Life Support paramedics remained with the driver and worked to stabilise his condition while he was still trapped inside the truck.
The truck driver was eventually freed from the wreckage and carefully removed from the damaged vehicle.
He was then placed into an ambulance and transported to a nearby hospital for further medical treatment. He was reported to have sustained critical injuries.
The collision resulted in significant damage to the car carrier after it crashed into the bridge following the initial impact.
Police were also at the scene and an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the collision is under way.
The exact reason why the light motor vehicle was travelling on the wrong side of the N3 has not been confirmed.
Authorities have not indicated whether factors such as mechanical failure, driver impairment, fatigue or another circumstance contributed to the vehicle travelling in the incorrect direction.
The investigation is expected to establish what led to the vehicle being on the wrong side of the highway and the events immediately preceding the fatal collision.
The crash highlights the severe consequences of vehicles travelling against the direction of traffic on major highways, particularly where vehicles are travelling at high speeds and heavy trucks are involved.
The incident caused a major emergency response as paramedics and firefighters worked at the scene to treat the injured and free the trapped truck driver.
Further details may emerge as police continue their investigation into the fatal N3 collision.
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