The accident involved about 17 vehicles on the scene, two trucks and another eight vehicles in the parking lot

Three people were killed and 18 seriously injured on Friday when a truck crashed through a wall in Constantia Kloof, west of Johannesburg . Johannesburg metro police department spokesperson Chief Superintendent Wayne Minnaar confirmed that three peopled died on the scene. “William Nicol Drive was closed up to 14th Avenue for the accident scene to be cleared” he said.

The accident involved about 17 vehicles on the scene, two trucks and another eight vehicles in the parking lot. The truck dragged some of the vehicles down the road. Some of the vehicles were so badly ripped apart that they were unrecognizable.

Doctors and nurses rushed over to treat injured people. Johannesburg emergency services spokesperson Robert Mulaudzi said the accident happened on William Nicol Drive around lunchtime.

“An 18-wheeler truck collided with a delivery lorry along William Nicol Drive. The lorry then turned towards oncoming traffic, resulting in a multicar pile up,” he explained. Three people died on the scene.

The injured were transferred to various hospitals. ER 24 spokesperson Werner Vermaak says the cause of the accident is not yet known. Vermaak said: “William Nicole road is closed to traffic between Ontdekkers road and 14th Ave. Two women and a man have died and many others are injured. The road will remain closed for the next hour for cleaning up operations to take place,” explained Vermaak.

After the initial collision, the 18-wheeler truck crashed through the wall of the Flora Clinic and into four vehicles in the hospital’s parking lot. The delivery lorry crashed into 10 other vehicles moving along William Nicol Drive. Personnel from the fire department had to use heavy equipment to remove those trapped inside vehicles.