Scholar transport driver to appear in court, dashcam footage of fatal Vanderbijlpark crash revealed
Video footage shows the taxi in the oncoming lane prior to the crash with the tipper truck
Image: Screengrab from video
A video has been shared on social media, purportedly showing the footage from the dashcam of the tipper truck that was involved in the fatal crash in Vanderbijlpark in the Vaal, Gauteng in which 12 school children died on Monday.
The children were travelling in scholar transport minibus which is seen in the footage moving into the oncoming lane as the truck approaches.
In the footage, the taxi veers right while the truck also swerves but the vehicles crash almost head-on.
Dashcam footage shows a school transport taxi that veered into oncoming traffic trying to veer out of the way moments before a fatal crash that killed 12 pupils near Vanderbijlpark.
Image: Supplied
Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi confirmed on Tuesday that the scholar transport vehicle was operating with an expired professional driving permit (PDP) that lapsed in November last year.
Speaking at a media briefing, Lesufi said three drivers were involved in the crash, the taxi driver and the truck driver and his assistant.
“The truck driver, who was not seriously injured, took himself to hospital and will provide a full statement,” Lesufi said.
“The assistant truck driver was treated and discharged, while the scholar transport driver was hospitalised and later released. The taxi driver has been arrested and is expected to appear in court.”
Gauteng police said the 22-year-old taxi driver is expected to appear in Vanderbijlpark Magistrates’ Court, on Thursday facing 12 counts of culpable homicide and charges of reckless and negligent driving.
The footage is purportedly from the dashcam of the tipper truck that was involved in the crash.
Image: Supplied
The children who died were from primary and high schools in the Vaal. All of the children have been identified.
IOL reported the devastating loss suffered by a family whose two children died in the crash. Lesego Sefatsa, 7, a Grade 2 learner at Oakwood Primary School, and Phehello Motaung, 18, a Grade 11 learner at El Shaddai Independent School.
The accident has led to the urgent call for a full review and enforcement of scholar transport regulations.
The Mercury has previously reported that statistics from the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) and ChildSafe South Africa showed that children aged five to 14 accounted for 5.61% of the 12 172 people killed on South African roads in 2024, a figure both organisations described as preventable.
ChildSafe South Africa said scholar transport should not be treated as a convenience, but as a regulated service requiring strict compliance.
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