A motorist who allegedly mowed down three pedestrians in Parkgate, Verulam, has been charged with three counts of culpable homicide.
The accused, who was allegedly drunk at the time, appeared at the Verulam Magistrate’s Court this week. He stands accused of running over and fatally wounding three pedestrians on Saturday evening, 3 July. According to Reaction Unit South Africa (RUSA), the incident occurred on an unnamed road in B-Section, Parkgate. RUSA spokesperson, Prem Balram, said two pedestrians were killed instantly while a 22-year-old man later succumbed to his injuries in hospital. Balram said the first responders were alerted to the incident by multiple callers, at around 10pm, who had witnessed the driver lose control of his vehicle and plough into the three pedestrians before crashing into a tree.
“Reaction Officers and RUSA medics were dispatched to the scene and on arrival found an angry mob assaulting a man who had been stripped naked. It was established that he was the driver of the white Toyota Corolla involved in the accident. The pedestrians landed several metres away from the point of impact.” Balram said it was established that the driver had attempted to flee the scene, following the fatal collision. “He abandoned his extensively damaged vehicle and fled the scene on foot when he was pursued by a mob who apprehended him approximately 300 metres away. They began assaulting him while escorting him back to the scene. Medics assessed the injured and found that two pedestrians were fatally injured. They were believed to be in their late 20s. Verulam police spokesperson, Captain Henry Kisten, confirmed the incident and the arrest of the suspect. He said a case of culpable homicide is under investigation and that the accused has not been charged with drunk driving.
