Dylan Ramsden was driving down Victor Harbor Road at Willunga Hill about 10pm when the car he was driving collided with the truck.
Graham and Jan Flint heard the impact of the crash from their home.
“It’s just so sad,” Jan Flint said.
The truck driver, a 34-year-old man from Kangaroo Island, and his only passenger – a three-year-old boy – were uninjured in the crash.
They were taken to Flinders Medical Centre where they were kept under observation.
Ramsden’s former workplace has remembered him as a “valued employee”.
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“Rest in peace bro. Will be missed dearly. Was a very good guy to work with.”
Friends have also said, “Shine bright up there. You’ve left a massive hole in the hearts of those whose lives you’ve touched”.
Locals believe the stretch of road is notoriously dangerous.
“It’s a blind bend and it wouldn’t take much for someone to veer across the road,” Graham Flint said.
Victor Harbor Road was closed to all traffic for several hours following the crash as Major Crash officers combed the scene, but has since reopened.
The death is the 90th on South Australian roads so far this year – up from 57 at the same time last year.