GEORGE NEWS - Nearly four years after a horrific accident involving a bakkie and an African Express bus, the driver of the bus, Harrold Dzina (62), appeared in the George Magistrate's Court on a charge of culpable homicide on Friday 5 July.
The accident
On Friday 30 October 2015, five people lost their lives after a bakkie, fitted with a canopy and carrying seven members of a lift club, was involved in a head-on collision with an African Express bus at the turn-off to the municipal dump at 17:40.
The five deceased, Willie Juries (43), Allister Muller (24), Delmor Treurnicht (40), Ruaan Smith (28) and the driver of the bakkie, Pierre Heunis (41), were flung from the vehicle on impact.
Jaydon Mapella (16), a pupil at Van Kervel School, sustained serious head and arm injuries as well as a cut to his stomach. He was moved from ICU at George Hospital to a general ward two days after the accident.
Heunis's wife, Ronelle, who was sitting on the passenger side of the bakkie, miraculously only sustained minor injuries.
The driver of the bus was treated for shock and was discharged from hospital after a thorough examination.
According to an eyewitness, the bakkie Heunis was driving was travelling towards Great Brak River when another bakkie, travelling towards George, stopped to turn right at the turn-off to the municipal refuse site.
While waiting for a gap in the traffic, a truck stopped behind the bakkie.
As Heunis passed the turn-off to the dump, the bus swerved to avoid rear-ending the truck and hit Heunis's bakkie head-on.
Praveen Singh, manager of African Express, confirmed that the driver is still in their employ.
Dzina will be back in court on 25 July.
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