The Witness
Thabiso Motseko and his co-driver, Teboho Motoboli. Picture: Mark Wing, The Witness
The driver of the truck that crashed into a mall killing a woman says mechanical failure and a botched repair job were to blame for the tragedy, a report has said.
Driver Thabiso Motseko told The Witness newspaper on Thursday that he regretted that a life had been lost in the incident.
Alice Jogessar, 69, died in the accident on Monday, as the runaway truck veered off a road and careened across the parking lot of the Liberty Midlands Mall, in Pietermarizburg before smashing into a wall.
Jogessar, an estate agent, had been having supper with a friend from Egypt and was returning to her car in the mall parking lot when the truck hit her.
According to The Witness, Motseko said he didn't know Jogessar was in the path of the truck. He said he didn't see her at all.
“It was bad luck. I didn’t mean to kill her,” Motseko said.
“I’m sorry that she passed away.
“I lost control and I didn’t even see her. I feel guilty because I know how precious life is. No one deserves to die the way that lady died.”
“I remember knocking into trees,” he said.
“The windscreen cracked.
“I couldn’t see anything and the next thing the truck was full of bricks.”
“I read the newspaper and people say my foot must have been resting on the accelerator, but that’s not true,” said Motseko.
According to The Witness, Motseko and his co-driver Teboho Motoboli said they had left Gauteng on Thursday last week with a consignment of ironing boards that were destined for various supermarkets in Durban.
Motseko said trouble started halfway to Durban, at Harrismith, when the truck suffered a clutch malfunction.
He said when he reached Bethlehem, the truck broke down and the pair waited for three days while a mechanic fixed the vehicle. Motseko said that in that time, they faced an unco-operative mechanic, who made them wait unnecessarily.
Without a place to sleep, both drivers spent those nights in the truck which had been moved to a local garage, the report said.
By Monday evening, Motseko said the mechanic gave him and Motoboli the all clear and the pair drove off, headed toward Durban to make their delivery.
However, about 100km into their drive, at Estcourt, the vehicle began acting up again.
“I kept on driving, driving and driving.”
According to the report, he said as they approached Pietermaritzburg the brakes of the vehicle failed.
“The red lights flashed. There were no brakes. No clutch. The handbrake was jammed. I touched the brakes again, and again there was nothing.”
He told The Witness that his main concern had been not to damage other vehicles and so he changed lanes and took the city's Chatterton Road off-ramp.
With the momentum of the truck gaining, Motseko said he directed the truck on to Sanctuary Road before crashing through a fence around the mall and then into the parking lot.
“The truck was sliding. I said to my assistant, ‘Motoboli, it’s finished’.
“I thought we were going to die because of how the truck was speeding,” he said.
“But I kept on holding on to the steering wheel because I was scared of the damage the truck would create if it had lost control.”
He told The Witness that he was not badly hurt in the incident, having only suffered a twisted neck, leg and right hand. Motoboli’s injuries were also minimal.
Both drivers have since been discharged from hospital., the report said.
Motseko went on: “I think mechanics must make sure that when they do something they do it right.
“He just said the truck was fine and ready.”
Police said they were still continuing their investigation.
Meanwhile, moving tributes were paid on Thursday to Jogessar as family and friends gathered at the Aryan Hall for her funeral.
Close friend Ivan Pillay said that while he had known many people in this life, Jogessar stood out because she was the “most precious person”.
“Knowing her was more than a pleasure, it was a rich and gracious blessing in every sense of the word.”
The director of Pietermaritzburg Child Welfare, Julie Todd said that Jogessar, a former teacher, had always been concerned about the plight of others less fortunate and children. - IOL, additional reporting by Sharika Regchand of The Mercury.
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Frogspawn, wrote
The vehicle is an old Mercedes 2219 6X4 rigid and the facts were that the clutch servo failed, The clutch has nothing to do with the braking system that is air. Blaming the mechanic for the brake failure is rather like baming someone for your engine blowing up after they've repaired your tail lamp. This type of vehicle also has, or should have an exhaust brake but obviously this would only be effective if it was in gear but it would seem that it was in neutral when it ran out of control. The driver should have stopped the truck when he heard the clutch "screetching" as there was clearly a fault. I gather that the authorities have inspected the braking system and would be curious to learn the outcome.
Active, wrote
Lyle Ground, wrote
A brave man to keep hold of the steering wheel like that. Condolences to the family. All in all a tragic event that could've been avoid if the correct repair work was done. Incidently I think action should be taken against these freight companies who consistently let sub-par trucks onto the road. Always see trucks broken down on the freeways.
Mahikeng, wrote
If Thabiso was someone you know and very close to you would you still talk like that? Calling him fool, idiot, stupid and all that? This is a terrible accident because an innocent life was lost and if pr but you cannot blame it all on the poor driver because after realising that the truck was faulty he went to a mechanic who "fixed" the truck and said it was ok to hit the road again.
Willie, wrote
Truck brakes work the other way around, you need air pressure to release them. You also go down the hill in the same gear you go up with. If you come down the hill too fast, brakes alone will not stop any truck. Thats why they also have exhaust brakes, retarders, magnets around the diff etc. Nail the irresponsible truck operator and this stupid driver!
Dambuza Kala, wrote
CHARGE him and his emaployer for MURDER- he should have stopped whn he first had a problem- USE THSI ARTICLE AT HIS TRIAL AS THIS IS PRIMA FACIE EVIDENCE
Mike, wrote
This idiot carried on driving when he knew the truck was faulty. He must be charged with murder and not just manslaughter. And don't come up with excuses of how he was forced to drive or mechanics fault, he was behind the wheel of the truck all the way from escourt when he knoew it was faulty.
Fresha, wrote
Are you guys stupid? did u not read? the brakes and clutch failed how was he supposed to put in the lowest gear with no clutch? LOGIK - it makes sense
Jakes, wrote
There is a lot of mechanical failures happening on our roads these days if you looking at trucks and taxi accidents. How can our law abiding truck and taxi drivers ever be wrong? No ways..
Milk, wrote
Mahikeng, wrote
@Andre, I hear you but when someone serves you with an attitude and at the at of the day things go wrong don't you want him her to answer for it? @badballie, well said my chief!
Anonymous, wrote
badballie, wrote
Sounds like big business and corporate culture are to blame, which isn't surprising in a profit driven market. If the investigation finds that the mechanic was at fault he must be charged with murder or negligence resulting in murder, if the company involved is found to have failed to ensure the vehicle was roadworthy for the trip or failed to properly maintain the vehicle then they must be charged with the killing in the same manner.
zee, wrote
This is tragic indeed and may her soul rest in peace and God be with the family through this hard time they are facing. As for the truck driver accidents happen and we can never know what might happen next time, you're also going through a rough patch now cause of someone who could not do their job properly, may you find closure in all this and God help you deal with this incident
Anonymous, wrote
I wonder if the truck stopped at the top of Town Hill and engaged it's lowest gear like it's supposed to. It is then supposed to stay in the low gear for the duration of the hill, that way if the brakes fail the truck won't be able to gain speed. The only way the truck will go faster is if the driver changed into a high gear, which is not allowed for vehicles of that size on Town Hill. He's guilty.
AB, wrote
All heavy vehicles must be in 1st gear when they start their decent down Towns Hill, exactly to prevent this sort of accident. No vehicle in 1st can attain that sort of speed
Andre, wrote
@Mahikeng. It does not mean that if something goes wrong with a vehicle that a mechanic is to blame for it.
Anonymous, wrote
Mahikeng, wrote
I personally know Thabiso and his family and I was devastated to hear the news that he was involved in an accident that resulted in one person loosing his life. This is an unfortunate incident because innocent life was lost and I hope at the end of the day the mechanic who was fixing that truck should be brought to book and have his operating licence suspended while his workplace is investigated by HEATLH & SAFETY PERSONNEL. May a lovely soul of this wonderful woman RIP!
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