The 23-year-old driver of the runaway tipper truck responsible for the multi-vehicle crash on the M41 on Monday morning, 6 March, which left at least 16 people injured and over 40 cars damaged, is expected to appear in court this week.
This comes after he handed himself over to the police on Monday night after fleeing from the accident scene earlier in the day. Amid speculation of the truck having suffered brake failure on the busy highway being the cause of the near fatal accident, the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Transport has ordered a full scale investigation into incident.
MEC for Transport, Community Safety and Liaison MEC, Sipho Hlomuka, expressed concerns at the alarming rate of truck accidents on provincial roads as he called for a full scale investigation.
He said: “This collision was unnecessary and could have been avoided. We have ordered an investigation so that those responsible can be held accountable. As a government, we have a targeted programme focusing on trucks. There is a growing challenge with the behaviour of tipper truck drivers in areas such as N2 Phongolo and N2 Richards Bay, ” said Hlomuka.
The department said part of the investigation will look at allegations of a total failure of the truck’s braking system, the condition of the driver and various other defects on the truck.
“If it is found that the truck was unroadworthy, the government could also advocate for charges to be pressed again the truck owner,” MEC Hlomuka said.
