Truck ends up in river after fall over bridge
EXHAUSTION may have been the reason that a truck left the road and smashed through the barriers of a bridge, falling to the stream below on the Mogwadi road just outside the city on Friday morning.
POLOKWANE – EXHAUSTION may have been the reason that a truck left the road and smashed through the barriers of a bridge, falling to the stream below on the Mogwadi road just outside the city on Friday morning.
The two drivers who were in the truck were not injured.
According to Bernard Zulu, he was asleep in the passenger seat when the truck plunged over the bridge. He said he suspected that the man who was driving at the time, had also fallen asleep.
“We had not slept for two days, so we were both tired. We were driving from Beit Bridge to Johannesburg and my co-driver volunteered to accompany me, as I could not drive for so long on my own,” Zulu explained.
He said he had not realised that his co-driver was just as tired as he was.
CV was unable to speak to the co-driver at the scene, as he had already been taken to hospital by ambulance for a medical check up.
Zulu confirmed that neither of them were seriously injured, but said his co-driver seemed to be in shock.
The cargo that the truck was transporting landed in the water and the men had to wade to safety too.
Zulu declined hospital treatment and said he planned to sleep on a bench near the bridge.
Transport, safety and liaison spokesperson, Kagiso Mootane, said drivers were urged to rest when driving long distances to avoid accidents.
When asked if a driver could be charged with driving when fatigued, Mootane replied in the negative. She said officials normally took the driver’s vehicle keys for at least two hours so that the drivers could rest before continuing their journey.
