The 22-year-old tipper truck driver Sithulile Zulu, responsible for the massive crash on the M41 highway in Durban, on Monday, is making his first appearance before the Durban Magistrates Court this morning. Zulu was charged with reckless and negligent driving, and failure to comply with the duties of a driver following the accident. Zulu had flees the scene after the accident but later handed himself over to the police where he was arrested. The case has been moved to 15 March 2023 for bail consideration and verification of address. The state requested for a postponement to verify the accused’s address, which is said to be outside Durban.
According to a statement released by the department, a tipper truck is suspected to have experienced brake failure when it collided with more than 40 vehicles during the morning traffic. A total of 49 vehicles were involved. It said this caused major devastation and brought traffic to a standstill. The truck was 2km away from where it had caused the damage. It had rolled over and landed on what seemed to be private property, spilling a black powder-like substance, the nature of which has not been disclosed.
CEO of the RFA, Gavin Kelly, said the crash was both unacceptable and unnecessary and its cause needs to be identified and then actively addressed.
Whereas the police had said Zulu is 23-years-old, the NPA has since clarified that Zulu is in fact 22-years-old. This driver is only 22 years old and driving an articulated truck? In my opinion, it’s definitely a case of inexperience. When the union wants to deal with this and other issues in this industry, people say they are compromising the economy. Truck drivers must be responsible! Period!
The bail hearing for the M41 truck driver, Sithulile Zulu has been scheduled for 15 March 2023 to give investigators time to confirm his address, to check if the suspect has any prior criminal record and if his driver’s license is valid. pic.twitter.com/bPL7TQPqxy
— 1KZNTV News (@1KZNtvNews) March 8, 2023
The family of Sithulile Zulu, the truck driver who caused the M41 Umhlanga accident that damaged over 40 cars, was also present in Court, but refused to speak to the media, saying that they was afraid of being falsely quoted. pic.twitter.com/gzcqBYe2zA
— 1KZNTV News (@1KZNtvNews) March 8, 2023