Residents from Ashburton, outside Pietermaritzburg in KwaZulu Natal, blessed themselves with free Vaseline after a truck transporting the petroleum jelly collided with another truck on the N3 highway this morning.

ALS Paramedic spokesperson Garrith Jamieson said while the two truck drivers were treated by their paramedics, residents helped themselves to free petroleum jelly. "One of the trucks was travelling towards Durban but unfortunately overturned coming to rest on the Pietermaritzburg-bound carriageway," Jamieson said clean-up operations were currently under way and urged motorists to avoid the area because there were traffic delays.

The Department of Transport confirmed that there were two other active accident scenes, also on the N3. "The other two include an accident on the N3 south bound between Nottingham Road and Balgowan. The road has been closed after a truck lost a load of vegetables. The other accident took place on the N3 Ashburton and Lynnfield Park. The road has been closed after a spillage of bags of sugar following a crash, read the statement.