"That no one was killed in this horror crash is a real-life miracle."

Bystanders on the scene of Tuesday morning’s horror crash on the N1 north stood in utter disbelief. Eight vehicles, including three trucks, were involved in the accident. Scores were injured but by some kind of miracle, nobody died. Among the injured was a man believed to be from Zimbabwe. His vehicle, crushed beyond recognition, was sandwiched between a heavy vehicle and the steel barrier.

The accident occurred just after 08:00 when a Coca-Cola Fortune delivery truck from Makhado (Louis Trichardt) slammed into seven parked vehicles at the entrance to the tunnels.

"I just saw this truck heading towards us at tremendous speed and I realized it was not going to stop. As I franticly tried to get my vehicle out of the way, the truck hit the back of my bakkie and sped on, wrecking everything in its way," recalls one of the survivors of the accident, a member from AFB Makhado on his way to Musina.

Apparently, the truck’s brakes failed. Upon realizing that there were no brakes, the truck driver apparently first tried to avoid the stationary vehicles by going over to the righthand side of the road. Oncoming traffic, however, forced him back to the lefthand side of the road where numerous unsuspecting motorist were waiting at a road maintenance traffic light.

Emergency workers were on the scene within minutes of the accident. Clean-up operations started almost immediately, but still the N1 north had to be closed for traffic for several hours. According to reports, the road only opened again just after 12 noon.

Police are investigating the accident.