Road Traffic Management Corporation on sentenced Mozambican truck driver

• Published date: 16 May 2022
• Publication title: South African Official News

A Mozambican truck driver who caused the 2017 horror fatal crash that claimed the lives of 18 people outside Machadodorp, Mpumalanga has been sentenced to eight years imprisonment.

The Middelburg regional court sentenced Mr. SA Macaucau after a lengthy trial in which two crash investigators from the Road Traffic Management Corporation gave expert evidence for the state. The defence also called a mechanical engineer to give evidence in defence of the accused.

The crash occurred on the 4th of July 2017 when a truck collided head-on with two minibus vehicles on R541 outside Machadodorp. The collision happened when the driver of the truck crossed the centreline and crashed with the two minibus vehicles travelling in the opposite direction. Eighteen people were killed and 10 were seriously injured.

The driver of the truck, Mr Macuacau sustained no injuries and was arrested on the scene and charged with culpable homicide.

The RTMC Crash Investigation Unit initiated investigations by conducting an on-site investigation as well as a full mechanical investigation. Reports were completed and submitted to the SAPS to form part of the case docket.

The evidence of the two RTMC...