Sister of deceased motorcyclist seeks justice
A mourning sister wants motorists to respect motorcyclists.
The sister of a biker who was killed in a collision at the Brooklyn Circle last month, says motorists’ attitude towards bikers should change.
It is alleged that Grant Ashley Barker (31) was killed after colliding into a silver Mercedes-Benz which was making an illegal U-turn close to the Brooklyn Circle in Pretoria on 27 July.
“This is a serious concern because motorists make illegal U-turns there on a regular basis,” said Barker’s sister Anthea Mara.
The family also said it was disappointed with how the police had handled the investigation as it had received no feedback.
“We heard the driver was not arrested yet an alcohol test confirmed the driver was over the limit, even though it was taken two hours after the accident.”
Police spokesperson Captain Colette Weilbach said a case of culpable homicide was being investigated. “The matter is being investigated, no one has been arrested yet,” Weilbach said.
Mara said although she wanted justice for her brother, she mostly wanted to see drivers’ attitudes towards motorcyclists change.
The Institute for Security Studies (ISS) in Brooklyn said it was aware of an increase in the hostility between motorists and motorcyclists.
Senior researcher at the ISS Dr Johan Burger said: “We do receive increasing reports of crimes involving motorcycles.”
“There are reports of cyclists being knocked off the road by motorists and those who get robbed off their expensive bikes.”
Burger said the driver in Barker’s accident should have been arrested immediately.
“If the police believed the driver was drunk, he should have been arrested on the spot and taken for alcohol testing, and then charged with drunken driving and culpable homicide depending on the outcome of the alcohol test.”
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