Truck driver’s legal woes

Besides charges of culpable homicide and reckless and negligent driving laid against him – and now no job – truck driver Isaac Maruding has one more problem: another lawyer has ditched him.

Maruding, the driver of an articulated truck that ploughed through early-morning traffic on the N12 highway on October 14, appeared again at the Palm Ridge Magistrates’ Court yesterday.

Three people died, 19 were injured and 48 cars were damaged in the accident after the truck’s brakes allegedly failed.

Maruding’s matter was delayed by a few minutes while the court waited for his attorney, at which point Maruding revealed Makhele Salemane would no longer represent him.

State prosecutor Fundile Ntuli was particulary annoyed, saying Salemane had behaved unprofessionally by failing to attend court to announce his withdrawal.

Magistrate Samuel Hlubi granted a postponement to allow Maruding time to find a new legal representative and to have the matter moved to the higher regional court, which handles cases involving multiple deaths.