Boozed up trucker, speeding with faulty brakes, is jailed

A truck driver who killed two people and left two others injured on the N3 opposite Midlands Mall in Pietermaritzburg has been sentenced to serve a decade in jail.

NP Dzanibe's speeding truck plunged into another heavy vehicle that had overturned on the road in September last year. A traffic officer and tow truck driver were killed. An ambulance official sustained severe injuries while another traffic official escaped with slight injuries.

The Road Traffic Management Corporation's crash reconstruction expert Terence Murphy investigated the collision and found Dzanibe had:

• driven with an expired professional driving permit;
• drove at 128km/h, which was 48km/h above the restricted 80km/h speed limit for the class of vehicle he was driving;
• drove his truck knowing it had defective brakes;
• failed to heed warning signs put in place to warn about an active crash scene ahead;
• was under the influence of alcohol; and
• fled the scene after causing the crash.

Dzanibe did not challenge the findings of the investigation and pleaded guilty, the RTMC said.

The Pietermaritzburg regional court sentenced him to two terms of 10 years imprisonment on two counts of culpable homicide, six months for reckless driving, three months for exceeding the speed limit and another six months for failing to report the crash. The sentence is to run concurrently.

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