Truck driver dies in hydrochloric spill crash
A mist enveloped the road as the acid spilled out.
A MAN in a truck was killed and hydrochloric acid spilled over the M7 southbound on Thursday, 12 May.
Travelling along the M7 at the Umbilo Road onramp, the truck driver lost control and the truck overturned.
“Rescue Care responded to numerous callouts around 7pm of a truck overturning and a leak of chemicals it was carrying. On arrival paramedics found a white mist around the truck, later to be identified as hydrochloric acid, which the was truck’s load. Paramedics had to wait for Durban Fire Department who used breathing apparatus sets to approach the truck,” said Rescue Care operations director, Garrith Jamieson.
One man was lying in front of the truck and a second was trapped inside. Advanced life support was used on the man outside the truck and he was transported to hospital, while the Fire Department worked over an hour to free the trapped man.
However once freed, paramedics found he had succumbed to his injuries.
