Nine people were injured, but none have life-threatening injuries – a result police say is miraculous.

The crash happened at 3.45pm yesterday, when a Mitsubishi truck towing a trailer travelling down the freeway was unable to stop at the Glen Osmond Road/Portrush Road intersection.

The truck smashed into a bus and a Hyundai SUV, which was pushed into another car, waiting at the intersection lights before careening through the intersection and hitting another five vehicles.

Police say the truck driver, a 60-year-old man from Queensland, was taken to hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

Eight people in other vehicles were taken to the Royal Adelaide Hospital with minor injuries, while five others caught up in the smash were uninjured.

The intersection was closed most of the night but reopened before the morning commute began in earnest.

The intersection has been the site of multiple crashes including fatalities over the years.

The speed limit for all trucks was reduced to 60km/h on the ascent from Crafers after an out-of-control truck smashed into three cars at the intersection, killing two people.

There are two arrester beds – one above the Heysen Tunnels and one below – which are designed to stop trucks and other vehicles if their brakes fail.

Premier Peter Malinauskas said this morning that a third arrester bed option – at the bottom of the freeway – was something that could be looked at.

However, he said there was enormous complexity in adding the additional bed at the site.

“It’s not as though we haven’t seen action in respect of the South Eastern Freeway over the years,” he told ABC Radio, adding that numerous measures had been added over the years, including reduced speed limits, low-gear mandates and signage.

However, he said he would be talking to the Transport Minister today about further options, including whether a third arrester bed should be re-examined.

He wanted to wait until there was a conclusion to the SA Police investigation before making any decisions to ensure they were evidence-based.

Hills MP, former Liberal turned independent Dan Cregan, said he feared lives would be lost without changes to the way the freeway is used or engineered.

The member for Kavel again lamented the Marshall Government’s decision to abandon its Globelink concept, which was designed to divert trucks from the freeway.

“Without further investment there is a real risk more people will lose their lives at this very dangerous intersection,” Cregan said.

“I was gutted when the Globelink proposal was abandoned. We need to be looking at completing an Adelaide Hills Freight bypass as well as adding a further arrester bed. I believe that changes to traffic management precautions are also required.”