Former Miss SA Cindy Nell-Roberts (insert) was one of six people hospitalised after a truck lost control down Cape Town's Kloof Nek Road on Tuesday morning. Photo via Twitter/X @tndaba
The chaos which unfolded along a busy Kloof Nek Road on Tuesday morning when a 24-wheeler truck spun out of control and smashed into five vehicles, has been described by eyewitnesses as “horrific” and “like a scene from a movie”.
Former Miss SA, TV presenter and businesswoman Cindy Nell-Roberts was one of six people who miraculously sustained only minor injuries as the massive truck swept down the Cape Town CBD road like a tsunami, leaving a trail of frozen crayfish and destruction in its wake.
The truck veered out of control after losing some of its load of seafood. It ploughed into vehicles and an Uber delivery scooter, and jack-knifed before overturning and coming to a stop next to Glatal Court apartment block.
The truck driver was taken to hospital with minor injuries after he was stuck below the engine and had to be freed with a circular saw.
According to Nell-Roberts’s personal assistant, the former beauty queen was on her way in her Range Rover to the Media24 building in Roggebaai to film a programme when the accident took place at about 11am.
“She hit her head against the windscreen and the airbags deployed on impact. Cindy can’t remember exactly what happened, but said it felt as if her car was dragged along the road by the truck.
“It appears she briefly lost consciousness, but was brought to her senses by the strong smell of petrol. She panicked and was luckily able to escape through her passenger door”.
Netwerk24 reported Nell-Roberts’s husband, Clive Roberts, was contacted by a bystander whose child attends the same school as the couple’s two children.
Her husband took her to a nearby hospital where she was treated for head, neck and arm injuries.
According to her personal assistant, the 42-year-old Cosmetix CEO and development director of Ace Models International believes her Range Rover – despite being a write-off – played a huge role in saving her life.
“The car that was hit after hers, was flung into the air and rolled.”
Francine Higham, Ward 77 councillor, told CapeTalk the issue of speeding along the road in Tamboerskloof is not a new concern and need to be addressed.
“I know that there are a lot of concerns about speeding on this road. We are looking to address this and putting in interventions in the short term, such as reactivating the camera at the top of Kloof Nek Road.”
Other measures taken will include increased signage to indicate the 50km/h speed limit and installing another traffic signal.
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