Zinhle Mapumulo

Zinhle Mapumulo

The driver of a hearse, which was transporting a body, was killed when his vehicle collided with a truck yesterday.

A passenger in the hearse, the truck driver and his passenger were not injured.

The hearse was transporting a body from Johannesburg to Upington in Northern Cape, a police spokesman said.

The accident happened on about 20km from Potchefstroom.

The driver died instantly and the corpse was badly damaged, according to police Superintendent Louis Jacobs.

Jacobs said the hearse driver had tried to overtake a stationary truck on the right, unaware of roadworks ahead, that had forced the truck towards him.

"The hearse driver was apparently impatient because as soon as he overtook the stationary truck, he collided with an oncoming truck.

"The hearse went underneath the truck.

"Rescuers had to use the jaws of life to extract the trapped men and the corpse.

"The hearse driver was killed instantly while his passenger was seriously injured.

"He was taken to hospital where he is reported to be in a critical condition.

"The corpse was apparently badly damage," he said.

"The only known fact is that the hearse is from Upington," he added, Jacobs said.