Two 15-tonne concrete slabs fell from a lorry onto the North-South Motorway in southern Australia on Friday, striking several cars and narrowly missing pedestrians. Police described it as a miracle that no one was killed.
Dramatic Footage Captures the Incident
The incident occurred at approximately 10:30 am as the lorry was merging into a new lane. Police stated that the vehicle's heavy load shifted, causing two 15-tonne concrete segments to fall onto the carriageway. The slabs struck three cars parked on the hard shoulder, where two pedestrians were standing. Dust filled the air as the concrete blocks crashed onto the road.
Injuries and Miraculous Escape
One pedestrian was taken to hospital with a suspected broken arm. Two other people sustained minor injuries. Father-of-two Vicas Mataru, who was helping a colleague whose vehicle had broken down, told 7News: "I remember a big sound - bang! - and a lot of dust. I called the guy and said, 'Run!' We were very, very lucky." He described surviving as "a miracle" and said a yellow car appeared to take much of the impact, diverting the concrete slabs away from where he was standing.
Lorry Driver's Account
Mr Mataru also said the lorry driver approached him afterwards to apologise, claiming another vehicle had pulled in front of him and forced him to brake suddenly, causing the load to come loose.
Transport Suspended Pending Investigation
The lorry was transporting concrete segments for the Torrens to Darlington (T2D) motorway construction project. Following the crash, the Department for Infrastructure and Transport said transportation of concrete segments had been suspended "out of an abundance of caution" until further notice while investigations continue. The damaged vehicles were later towed from the scene before a crane was brought in to lift and remove the huge concrete slabs. Investigations into the crash are still ongoing.
