Dashcam and witness footage has captured the chaotic and terrifying moment a heavy goods truck carrying massive concrete slabs lost part of its cargo on one of South Australia’s busiest arterial roads, leaving a trail of destroyed vehicles and injured people in its wake. The near-catastrophic event unfolded just after 10:30 a.m. on Friday along the North-South Motorway in Bolivar, a suburb located on Adelaide’s outer northern fringe. According to initial reports from South Australia Police, the heavy vehicle was in the process of merging between lanes when several tonnes of unsecured concrete suddenly shifted and slid off the truck’s rear trailer.
Two 15-tonne concrete slabs slammed into the pavement with enormous force, kicking up a thick, blinding cloud of dust that obscured visibility for nearby drivers before the heavy blocks careened into three parked cars positioned on the motorway’s hard shoulder. The impact of the collision sent the stationary vehicles careening into two pedestrians who had pulled off the road to address an earlier vehicle breakdown, leaving the two people trapped and injured.
In a statement released by SA Police following the incident, authorities called the outcome of the crash nothing short of miraculous. Despite the enormous force of the falling slabs and subsequent collisions, none of the people involved sustained life-threatening injuries. One person was transported to a local Adelaide hospital with a suspected broken arm, while two additional people were treated for minor injuries at the scene. Emergency services including police, fire crews and highway clearance teams rushed to the site to secure the area, remove the destroyed vehicles and clear the fallen concrete from the roadway.
The unplanned incident caused major disruption to northbound and southbound traffic through the area, with long queues forming as emergency works were carried out. One passing motorist traveling in the opposite direction roughly 30 minutes after the crash told reporters that traffic backlogs stretched well over one kilometer along the motorway, leaving thousands of commuters stuck in delays through the Friday morning rush.
As of the latest update, investigators with SA Police are still working to determine the exact cause of the load shift, including whether the concrete slabs were properly secured by the trucking operator before the vehicle entered the motorway. “Police are amazed that no-one was killed during this incident,” the SA Police statement said. “This incident serves as a reminder that all road users have a responsibility to help keep South Australian roads safe. Motorists should allow heavy vehicles the space and stopping distance they need, and drivers transporting loads must ensure they are properly secured before commencing their journey.”