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Horror crash case postponed to 2015

49 vehicles and 3 trucks were involved in the accident. Photo Thulani Mbele.
49 vehicles and 3 trucks were involved in the accident. Photo Thulani Mbele.

The culpable homicide case against a truck driver who allegedly caused a horror Gauteng crash involving over 40 vehicles and leaving four dead, has been postponed to next year.

Isaac Maruding, 44, made a brief appearance in the Palm Ridge Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday, where he is facing four counts of culpable homicide and one of reckless and negligent driving.

Maruding is accused of causing the multi-car pile-up on the N12 in Alberton last month in which Henry Mohloai, Henry Mnisi and Sidwell Ngqoboka lost their lives.

A fourth person who died in the accident has still not been identified. Prosecutor John Ntuli told the court that the investigating officer was working on establishing the fourth victim’s identity.

Maruding fled the scene of the crash in October 14 and was arrested in Potchefstroom a day later.

On Wednesday his case was postponed to January for a regional court date to be set and for him to instruct another lawyer after his previous legal counsel withdrew. Maruding, who is out on R7 000 bail, indicated that he intended to hire a private lawyer.

Maruding has two previous convictions, one of culpable homicide and another of reckless and negligent driving. He was sentenced to 18 months in jail for the culpable homicide case in 1999 and received the same sentence for the reckless and negligent driving conviction in 1997.

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