NELSPRUIT – An employee of Mahindra has been charged with culpable homicide after an occupant who was being transported on the back of a company vehicle, died in what can only be described as a freak accident on Saturday.
Yesterday Mr André Pistorius (46) appeared in Nelspruit’s District Court and at the time of going to press, the outcome was not yet available. The deceased was known only as Donovan (23). Police refused to reveal his surname until the post-mortem had been concluded. That was expected to be later today.
The accident occurred at the R40/Banket Street intersection at about 16:15. According to Mr Jacques Meiring, operational manager of Bossies Community Justice, (BCJ) the driver of a silver Volkswagen Fox was driving recklessly in the direction of Barberton.
“According to eyewitnesses, the car continuously veered over the road.”
A Mahindra recovery vehicle and minibus were travelling in the same direction. The driver of the minibus, allegedly in an attempt to avoid hitting the Fox, also swerved, and collided with the Mahindra. Donovan, who was standing on the back of the Mahindra, fell off on impact and a vehicle drove over him.
It was not clear at this stage if it was the Mahindra or another car. Paramedics of Netcare 911, BCJ, J&M Security and the fire brigade responded.
The victim was taken to hospital with serious injuries, but died on the way. Eyewitnesses told Meiring that a third vehicle, the Fox, had caused the accident. By then it had already left the scene.
It was spotted further down Banket Street in front of Laerskool Laeveld and two bystanders pointed it out as the one responsible for the incident. The driver allegedly climbed into another vehicle with his sister and drove off. Meiring and officials of Hi-Tech Security White River followed it.
It later stopped at a house and Meiring confronted the driver. “I asked him why he had left the scene of an accident and he told me it was in an attempt to avoid traffic congestion,” he said. Another source on the scene told Lowvelder that the man smelled of alcohol.
It was not clear whether a blood sample had been taken or not.
Pistorius was taken into police custody on the scene. Capt Dawie Pretorius, spokesman for Nelspruit police, said on enquiry that they would add a charge of driving under the influence of alcohol. He would not say whether it was against Pistorius or the Fox driver.
By Sunday afternoon, two crosses had been erected at the intersection, in memory of Donovan.
