Driver's legs amputated as 'last resort' to save his life after crash

A truck driver had his legs amputated by a trauma surgeon as a last resort to save his life after efforts to extract him from the wreckage of a crash on the East Rand using hydraulic tools failed.

The truck, transporting oranges, rolled on the R21 near the 1-Stop in Esselenpark in the early hours of Thursday morning. The driver was trapped in the crushed cab.

“Rescue crews worked fervently to free the man using hydraulic tools, however due to the mechanism of the entrapment [they] were not able to do so,” Netcare 911 spokesperson Shawn Herbst said.

“Following a consultation between senior medical doctors, a trauma surgeon from a specialised Netcare emergency department was brought to the scene to evaluate options.

“As a last resort to save the rapidly deteriorating patient's life, a surgical amputation of both limbs below the knee was carried out.”

The man, once extracted from the wreckage, was stabilised by the doctor and then flown by helicopter ambulance to a specialist facility for urgent care.

TimesLIVE