A Breathalyser test conducted on the taxi driver behind the wheel of a minibus taxi that collided with the blade of a bulldozer revealed his breath alcohol level was eight times above the legal limit.
Arrive Alive spokesman Tshepo Machaea said the breathalyser, conducted soon after the accident, revealed the driver’s breath alcohol content was 0.97mg/litre.
The legal limit for public transport drivers is 0.10mg/l.
The driver of the taxi was later taken for blood alcohol tests.
Machaea said both the taxi and truck drivers had been arrested and would appear in the Mqanduli Magistrate’s Court on charges of reckless and negligent driving, culpable homicide and drunk driving.
Four teachers died in the horror accident on Wednesday and another eight passengers were injured. The eight have since been treated for their injuries and released from hospital.
The teachers were killed when the taxi they were travelling in collided with the blade of a bulldozer being transported on the back of a truck.
Part of the blade, extending out past the side of the trailer carrying the bulldozer, ripped through the side of the taxi as it travelled in the opposite direction.
The accident took place near near eMagcalekeni Village, Lower Nenga Administrative Area, shortly before 8am on Wednesday on the road to Coffee Bay.
The victims taught and led various committees at Mount Packard Junior Secondary School in eMagcalekeni Village where classes have been temporarily suspended.
They have been identified as life skills teacher Nonzwakazi Msengana, 47, from Mdlekeza Park near Ngangelizwe; Xhosa teacher Nontobeko Gqirana, 45, from Dlilanga Street in Ikwezi Park outside Mthatha; Grade 1 teacher Nomaphelo Magade-Ngcola, 44, from Dosi Village; and maths teacher Bulelwa Mpisane-Nkohla, 40, from Mandela Park.
Ngcola-Magade will be buried on March 14 at her home in Dosi Village.
School principal Mullet Madlalisa said the school’s 620 pupils had received counselling during a visit from a delegation from the department of education and the South African Democratic Teachers’ Union.
Both education MEC Mandla Makupula and transport MEC Weziwe Tikana have offered their condolences to the bereaved families vowing to “support” the victims’ families and ensure they had dignified funerals.
Mpisane-Nkohla’s husband Lundi Nkohla and Ngcola-Magade’s husband, Khayalethu Magade battled to hold back their tears as they spoke of their shock.
Mpisane-Nkohla’s mother was too devastated to comment.
“She was the mother-hen of this family,” said Nkohla of his wife.
Breaking down in tears his neighbour, Sisa Fihlani, spoke on his behalf. Fihlani said the couple had been together for 18 years and had a 23-year-old son, Abongile.
Fihlani said the nature of the accident had left the family with more questions than answers.
“That a truck belonging to the same government that forces us to obey rules of the road fails to do so just worsens the pain,” he said.
It was reported that the 24-wheeler truck carrying the bulldozer did not have an escort.
Magade said the community had been shocked by his wife’s death.
Public works spokesman Mphumzi Zuzile said the escort bakkie driven by the mechanical foreman had gone “ahead to prepare a ramp for off-loading the dozer” which was being transported to another site.
“We cannot comment further on this matter as it is under police investigation,” said Zuzile. — loyisom@dispatch.co.za
Two arrested for blade tragedy
Arrive Alive spokesman Tshepo Machaea said the breathalyser, conducted soon after the accident, revealed the driver’s breath alcohol content was 0.97mg/litre.
The legal limit for public transport drivers is 0.10mg/l.
The driver of the taxi was later taken for blood alcohol tests.
Machaea said both the taxi and truck drivers had been arrested and would appear in the Mqanduli Magistrate’s Court on charges of reckless and negligent driving, culpable homicide and drunk driving.
Four teachers died in the horror accident on Wednesday and another eight passengers were injured. The eight have since been treated for their injuries and released from hospital.
The teachers were killed when the taxi they were travelling in collided with the blade of a bulldozer being transported on the back of a truck.
Part of the blade, extending out past the side of the trailer carrying the bulldozer, ripped through the side of the taxi as it travelled in the opposite direction.
The accident took place near near eMagcalekeni Village, Lower Nenga Administrative Area, shortly before 8am on Wednesday on the road to Coffee Bay.
The victims taught and led various committees at Mount Packard Junior Secondary School in eMagcalekeni Village where classes have been temporarily suspended.
They have been identified as life skills teacher Nonzwakazi Msengana, 47, from Mdlekeza Park near Ngangelizwe; Xhosa teacher Nontobeko Gqirana, 45, from Dlilanga Street in Ikwezi Park outside Mthatha; Grade 1 teacher Nomaphelo Magade-Ngcola, 44, from Dosi Village; and maths teacher Bulelwa Mpisane-Nkohla, 40, from Mandela Park.
Ngcola-Magade will be buried on March 14 at her home in Dosi Village.
School principal Mullet Madlalisa said the school’s 620 pupils had received counselling during a visit from a delegation from the department of education and the South African Democratic Teachers’ Union.
Both education MEC Mandla Makupula and transport MEC Weziwe Tikana have offered their condolences to the bereaved families vowing to “support” the victims’ families and ensure they had dignified funerals.
Mpisane-Nkohla’s husband Lundi Nkohla and Ngcola-Magade’s husband, Khayalethu Magade battled to hold back their tears as they spoke of their shock.
Mpisane-Nkohla’s mother was too devastated to comment.
“She was the mother-hen of this family,” said Nkohla of his wife.
Breaking down in tears his neighbour, Sisa Fihlani, spoke on his behalf. Fihlani said the couple had been together for 18 years and had a 23-year-old son, Abongile.
Fihlani said the nature of the accident had left the family with more questions than answers.
“That a truck belonging to the same government that forces us to obey rules of the road fails to do so just worsens the pain,” he said.
It was reported that the 24-wheeler truck carrying the bulldozer did not have an escort.
Magade said the community had been shocked by his wife’s death.
Public works spokesman Mphumzi Zuzile said the escort bakkie driven by the mechanical foreman had gone “ahead to prepare a ramp for off-loading the dozer” which was being transported to another site.
“We cannot comment further on this matter as it is under police investigation,” said Zuzile. — loyisom@dispatch.co.za
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