NEWS: Driver ‘unaware’ he hit sea cadet
Man facing drunk driving charge unaware he had hit Jay-Dean, 16
AN alleged drunk driver has broken his silence more than a year after a sea cadet was killed while crossing the road, claiming he was not even aware he had hit a person until the police informed him that the teenager had been injured.
Meanwhile, Jamie Stuurman, a relative of victim Jay-Dean Lucas and wearing her name and face printed on her T-shirt, told how her cousin’s hand was torn from hers as the impact of the collision sent her flying through the air.
Stuurman, 18, said the driver had then turned to look at her before he drove off.
But in pleading not guilty in the Port Elizabeth Regional Court yesterday to charges of drunk driving, culpable homicide and fleeing the scene of an accident, William Taute, 27, said his heart bled for young Jay-Dean’s loved ones. He said he had since tried to reach out to them.
“I want to make it very clear, however, that as tragic as this is, and as saddened as I am, I did not strike the children, and, in fact, when one looks at the damage to the vehicle, they ran into the vehicle from the left-hand side,” Taute said in a lengthy plea explanation.
“This was nothing more than a tragic accident.”
Family and friends of 16-yearold Jay-Dean, a dedicated member of the Navy Sea Cadets, filled the back of the courtroom as the trial finally started.
Her mother, Praylene, 38, said she was there to fight for justice for her eldest daughter.
Meanwhile, Taute, wearing a smart blue suit, appeared composed as he took notes in the dock.
He had been working at SA Breweries as an account manager at the time of the accident.
His colleague, Deidre van Heerden, testified that he had been driving her work bakkie, an Amarok, while she sat in the passenger seat and completed some work on her cellphone. The collision occurred shortly before 7pm.
Before that, they had met with colleagues for after-work drinks, although Van Heerden did not actually see Taute consume any alcohol.
She told prosecutor Benedict Wilson that they had been driving in Humewood Road and because it was a Friday evening, traffic was backed up. It later emerged that this was due to a car accident up ahead.
“We went past the museum and saw that the traffic light was green. I then saw the heads of about two or three children moving between the cars,” said Van Heerden.
“William tried to swerve to prevent hitting the kids and the next thing I heard was a loud noise.
“There were cars behind us so we stopped at the next safest spot.”
At the Kings Beach parking lot, Taute phoned their boss, a former policeman, who told them to immediately report the accident to the police.
Taute said he had been on his way to the Humewood police station when he was pulled over just 800m away.
Captain Gerhard Stander testified that the accident had been reported to the station at around 7.20pm, with a full description of the vehicle involved.
After patrolling the area for about 10 minutes, he spotted the Amarok, which had a large dent to the left fender.
“I could smell alcohol on the driver’s breath. Asked if he had been drinking, he said he had had a few beers,” Stander said.
Taute was taken to the police station, and thereafter to Livingstone Hospital to have his blood drawn.
According to the state, his blood alcohol level was more than twice the legal limit.
Defence advocate Terry Price SC said the blood had not been drawn in the stipulated two-hour period from the time of the accident. He also insisted his client had had no idea there were children involved.
Taute said while he had felt a bump, “whatever it was”, it had not knocked his vehicle off course in any way. “I looked inside my rear view mirror and saw nothing but other moving vehicles,” he said.
“There had been an accident in the intersection blocking the right and middle lanes – it would have been exceptionally dangerous and illegal for me to stop in the middle of this very busy road.
“I want to point out that there was no blood at all on the vehicle so I had no idea that a human being collided with my vehicle.”
Testimony continues today.