POLOKWANE – The 41-year-old Zimbabwean bus driver, who was arrested after attempting to flee the country, appeared before the Polokwane Magistrates Court today, 2 October on nine counts of culpable homicide as well as a charge of reckless and/or negligent driving.
Read more: Fatal N1 bus crash: Driver arrested after attempting to flee country
According to police spokepserson, Col Moatshe Ngoepe, the man was denied bail and his cases were postponed to the 9 October 2018 for further police investigations to take place.
Ngoepe says the bus driver was arrested after attempting to cross the border into Zimbabwe illegally.
“He was taken to hospital with other 51 injured passengers for medical treatment and after his discharge he fled towards the Beit Bridge Port of Entry. As the process of intensive investigations by the Police was unfolding, especially on the possible cause of the accident, he attempted to cross the border in Zimbabwe illegally by hiding inside a goods trailer,” explained Ngoepe.
Nine passengers lost their lives during a bus crash which occurred along the N1 South in the early hours of Friday morning, 21 September 2018.
Read more: One lane on the N1 opened for traffic after 10 people die in bus accident
The bus was travelling from the direction of Polokwane towards Gauteng when the driver lost control and it overturned.
The bus was carrying 61 occupants including the driver and the crew and nine out of 61 were certified dead at the scene.
