Questions over driver's PDP after 13 learners die in tragic Vanderbijlpark crash

There were cries of anguish and pain from devastated parents at the scene of a horror scholar transport crash, which claimed the lives of thirteen children yesterday in Vanderbijlpark in the Vaal.

Police have since opened charges of culpable homicide and warned that additional charges may be added.

Families, classmates, and educators at the scene struggled to come to terms with the devastating loss. Some parents rushed to the scene moments after hearing about the accident on social media, still in their pyjamas, only to be confronted with a nightmare. The children were from primary and high schools in the Vaal.

One mother, who lost two children in the crash, collapsed in agony and emergency personnel rushed to assist her.

“Two of my children are dead. I just want to see their bodies. What did I do to God to deserve this? I just want to die,” she cried.

Colonel Mavela Masondo, Gauteng police spokesperson, confirmed that preliminary investigations indicate that the Toyota Quantum taxi was attempting to overtake four vehicles when it collided head-on with an oncoming truck. He said the death toll at the scene had initially been reported as 11 but has now risen to 13.

“Initially, 11 fatalities were reported at the scene, but the death toll has now risen to 13. Four learners and the driver of the Quantum were transported to Sebokeng Hospital, while one learner and the assisted truck driver were taken to Kopanong Hospital,” Masondo said.

He said investigations are still at an early stage, with statements being obtained from witnesses, including the taxi driver. The truck driver survived the crash but remains unconscious.

Concerns over the driver’s qualifications have now emerged. Sources close to the scene said the 22-year-old driver of the Quantum had previously been reprimanded by other motorists for reckless driving and he does not possess a professional driving permit (PDP).

Masondo confirmed the driver’s age and said part of the investigation is to determine whether he holds a valid PDP and whether the vehicle was roadworthy at the time of the crash.

An eyewitness described the moments leading to the collision, stating that the taxi involved overtook several vehicles at high speed before colliding with the truck.

“The taxi overtook me and several other cars. I slowed down to give it space because we could see a truck approaching, but the driver ignored that. The truck driver tried to avoid the crash by swerving, but the taxi also moved into that lane, and that’s where they collided. The taxi went straight into oncoming traffic,” the eyewitness said.

Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi described the scene as devastating. He said it was clear the taxi had attempted to overtake several vehicles before colliding with the truck and that the truck driver had tried to swerve to avoid the impact, but it was unavoidable.

“It’s an unbearable situation, an unbearable scene. The investigating team has just briefed me, but there are one or two things that I still need. It is clear that the taxi was trying to overtake several cars and unfortunately, it was confronted by the truck,” Lesufi said.

He warned that the growing private scholar transport sector urgently needed stricter regulation, which he said had been left unmonitored for far too long.

Education MEC Matome Chiloane said in a statement: “It really is a tragic day for us as the Department and the province. We extend our deepest condolences to the learners, families, and school communities affected. We call for greater vigilance when it comes to scholar transports, particularly private scholar transport.”

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