Pinetown authorities say it’s one of the worst accidents they have ever seen on the road, and now a truck driver faces multiple charges in the deaths of 27 people.

Police say that failing brakes could have been the cause of the fatal crash, in which the driver of a semi truck plowed through a busy intersection just as cars were beginning to move through a green light. Reports say around 80 people were injured in the accident, and the 23-year old driver–whose license was allegedly expired–is in custody.

“He has been charged with culpable homicide, and reckless and negligent driving,” Colonel Vincent Mdunge said.

The South African town is the third to see a horrific crash in just the past couple of days, with 9 people killed near KwaZulu-Natal over the weekend and 7 people killed on the roads between Grahamstown and Port Elizabeth in the Eastern Cape.

“The loss of such a high number of people, some of them breadwinners is painful and has affected so many households negatively. We urge road users especially drivers to exercise caution on the roads especially when carrying passengers. We extend our deepest condolences to the families and relatives of the deceased and wish those in hospital a speedy recovery,” said acting President Jeff Radebe.

A vehicle that was stopped at the light was equipped with a dashboard camera, which caught the entire thing on video. CAUTION: the contents of the video are graphic and may be disturbing to some viewers.

Image: YouTube