PINETOWN SAPS confirmed that a case of culpable homicide was opened after a man died during an accident along Stapleton Road on Monday evening.
A video clip of a runaway truck ploughing into a wall and a home, while simultaneously squashing a car in its path, went viral on social media shortly after the accident.
The truck reportedly crashed into four vehicles as it hurdled down the busy roadway.
ALSO READ: VIDEO: Runaway truck ploughs through cars on Stapleton Road, driver dies
Moments before the truck veers off the road and crashes into the property it can be seen ramming a mangled car along the road.
According to the spokesman for Life Response Paramedics, Leon Fourie, the accident unfolded after the truck driver conversed with Metro Police before he got back into the truck and tried to reverse the massive vehicle.
Pinetown Cluster communications officer, Captain Bongumusa Manqele, said there was already an accident on Stapleton Road and confirmed the truck was stopped by Metro Police.
“The driver jumped off and, while he was talking to the police, the truck started moving,” he said.
In a press statement, Fourie said the truck driver attempted to stop the out of control vehicle.
“…when doing so fell out and hit his head on the road. The truck went down an embankment and into a residential property causing severe damage to the property and two vehicles inside the property,” said Fourie.
He said paramedics attempted to resuscitate the driver, but he was declared dead at the scene.
He confirmed no other injuries were reported at the scene.
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Babo Makhanya, the owner of one of the homes along Stapleton Road affected by the accident, said, “I was watching it on my CCTV camera and I didn’t think that it was so close to me. It was like watching a film.”
“When the truck crashed through my wall, my wife screamed. We are both still a bit frightened,” said Makhanya.
The truck smashed through more than two metres of brick wall, crushing a set of brick stairs, damaging two vehicles and then hurtled into the side of the house next door, damaging a wall, window, gutter and roof.
“I am not too sure what it will cost to repair any of this damage, but I have a feeling it will be a lot,” said Makhanya.
He offered his condolences to the family of the truck driver.
It is unclear what caused the truck to lose control, however, SAPS and Metro Police were on scene and will be investigating the cause of the collision.
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