Despite earlier social media reports that motorists could expect a four- to five-hour road closure this morning (23 February) on the N1 north between Louis Trichardt and Musina to allow for the recovery of the truck involved in yesterday afternoon’s accident, the N1 remains open for now.
According to the Limpopo Department of Transport and Community Safety, preliminary investigations suggest the truck involved in yesterday’s accident experienced brake failure while travelling north in the Soutpansberg mountain pass. It initially struck three vehicles at the notorious hairpin turn at Ingwe Lodge, the scene of last week’s fatal bus accident that left six people dead. A couple of kilometres further, just before the Hendrik Verwoerd tunnels, the driver of the truck lost control. The heavy vehicle veered off the road, plunged into a ditch and caught fire.
No fatalities were reported following either the initial crash at Ingwe Lodge or the incident near the Hendrik Verwoerd tunnels. The truck driver was, however, transported to hospital for medical treatment for injuries sustained.