VIDEO: School bus driver to face culpable homicide charge
The driver, believed to be in her 30s, was also injured in the crash
THE driver of a school bus could face jail time after a five-year-old Esselenpark girl died in hospital, after a mini bus taxi transporting learners veered off the road and crashed into a ditch in Birchleigh North.
The fatal accident, in which 17 learners were injured, including the girl, happened at around 7am on Monday, at the intersection of Pongolariver Drive and Strydom Street.
The driver, believed to be in her 30s, was also injured in the crash.
The Oxford Combined College learner succumbed to her injuries at Tembisa Hospital, where 13 other patients were taken. Three other patients were transported to Arwyp Hospital.
Most of the learners being transported were from Tembisa and attend school at Oxford Combined College, in Spartan, while one is allegedly a learner at Kings Highway Academy, on Monument Road.
Norkem Police spokesperson W/O Mahlodi Langa confirmed that a charge of culpable homicide has been added to the reckless and negligent driving case that was initially opened.
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William Ntladi, Ekurhuleni Emergency Services spokesperson, said their ambulance services transported the majority of the patients to Tembisa Hospital.
“In total, 18 patients, including the driver of the vehicle, were taken to hospital for various injuries, including head and chest; four, including the driver, were seriously injured and the others sustained minor injuries,” Ntladi said.
More accident scene photographs
According to the chairperson for the Tembisa Education Transport Coordinators, Bhekumuzi Ngwenya, the school bus is part of their organisation and the driver is one of their members.
“The driver of the transport said she does not know what happened as she said she had a blackout when the accident occurred,” Ngwenya said.
”There was no other car that disturbed her on the road at the time of the incident. We will find out the full details once she has been treated and discharged from hospital.”
The driver of a separate transport vehicle for school pupils said he had seen the minibus in the morning, just before the accident.
“I noticed the blue taxi when I was taking kids to school this morning,” he added.
”I was driving behind it through Esselenpark and towards Strydom Street. ‘
”Shortly after turning left into Emberen Street, before the road curves to the right leading into Strydom Street, the car had already sped off in front of us.
”By the time I got to the intersection where the accident happened, there was no car in sight.”
Assuming that the school bus had sped off, he continued on his way and took the learners to school.
“It was only after coming back from dropping the learners off that I saw policemen and ambulances on the scene. When I stopped to find out what had happened, I saw the blue minibus taxi I had seen earlier in the morning.”
Ntladi confirmed that the forensics team will investigate whether or not the vehicle was roadworthy.
