On Wednesday 2 February 2022 at approximately 09h45 a truck driver lost control of his vehicle and collided with an oncoming bakkie. The accident happened in Neil Hare Road, Atlantis Industria, on a stretch of road with several potholes and uneven surfaces. According to Captain Elizabeth Munro, a spokesperson for the South African Police Service (SAPS) in Atlantis, the truck hit a pothole before colliding with the bakkie. “The driver of the bakkie, a 35 year old white male from Vredenburg died on the scene. A culpable homicide docket is under investigation.” A Facebook comment described the deceased as someone who played a big role in the lives of others, a soft personality with a heart of gold. Prayers and condolences were expressed to his wife and son who was left behind. When ward 29 councillor Moosa Raise was alerted to the incident, he and his sub council manager, Wessie Van Der Westhuizen went to the scene to obtain first-hand insight. “To sum it up, it was horrific,” he said. Social media users commented on the state of the road. They agreed that its terrible to drive on, with drivers constantly having to swerve out of the way in order to not hit any potholes. Some of the comments read, “pot hole, culpable homicide; the CoCT must take responsibility.” Another outraged Facebook user posted: “How the hell can they investigate a culpable homicide case?
I understand that the deceased also has a family, but it is the council’s responsibility to fix the roads.” Other comments were outraged over the fact that the road was only fixed after someone had died. They complained about the ‘heaps of money’ that motorists have to spend on fixing cars due to potholes. Raise could not verify the circumstances that lead to the incident. “On our arrival I engaged with officials and the owners of the truck, who provided clarity. Upon visual inspection I observed that the road surface was compromised. However, I cannot categorically confirm that the road surface was the only contributor to this fatal crash. I will try to obtain video footage and the professional opinion from our Roads Department to form an informed opinion,” said Raise. He said immediate action was taken to rehabilitate the area of the accident the very same day, and it will be tarred as soon as the road base/sub structure has settled.
