Johannesburg – A truck accident on the N3 near Pietermaritzburg left one person dead and another seriously injured, paramedics said on Wednesday.

A truck transporting paper crashed into the back of another truck after its driver lost control on Umlaas Road, said ER24 spokesperson Vanessa Jackson.

The truck with the paper crashed down an embankment and paramedics and police initially struggled to find the two men because it was dark and misty in the area, said Jackson.

They were discovered after they shouted for help from the bottom of the embankment – the driver trapped under the rolls of paper and the passenger trapped inside the cabin.

The police’s search and rescue division and the local fire department were also called out.

A heavy duty tow truck removed the rolls off the driver one by one.

He was talking to paramedics and responding well but, as soon as the last roll was taken off his body his condition deteriorated quickly. He was transported to a nearby hospital on life support, but died later. 

The passenger had been cut out of the cabin earlier and taken to hospital for further treatment of severe injuries, said Jackson.

No one was injured in the other truck. 

SAPA