Crash victim’s family: justice’s been served
Candida was everything to us – father
ALMOST three years after a Verulam woman died following a head-on collision with a vehicle driven by an unlicensed driver, her family says justice has been served.
Candida “Camy” Govender, 26, of Brindhaven, died when the driver of an Izuzu bakkie lost control of his vehicle and collided with her VW Golf in December 2016.
Yahya Vahed, 21, also of Brindhaven, was found guilty of culpable homicide and reckless driving in the Verulam Magistrate’s Court on Thursday.
He was driving in the opposite direction on a two-way road when he veered off the road, crashed into another car and collided with Govender’s vehicle.
She sustained multiple blunt force injuries and died in hospital.
At the start of the trial in 2017, Vahed pleaded not guilty to the charges. He claimed it was raining heavily and that he hit a pothole. His steering wheel had locked and his bakkie veered out of his lane. “My bakkie was then struck in the front by a Polo motor vehicle, causing my bakkie to face in a north-easterly direction,” he said.
Vahed claimed that another car, a VW Golf which he said had been speeding, crashed into his bakkie.
State prosecutor Carlson Govender argued it was not raining on the day of the accident and there were no potholes on the road.
A State witness, from the Department of Road Works, confirmed there were no potholes, and two witnesses, who were travelling on the same road, said it was not raining.
The court found the State witnesses to be credible and rejected Vahed’s version.
After the judgment, Govender’s father, Emmanuel, recalled the day his daughter died.
“She had left for work but returned because she forgot her laptop. I then told her to have a good day and never expected that to be our last moments together,” he said.
“After her mother’s death seven years ago, Candida had been our strength. She ensured her brother and I were taken care of. She was everything to us.”
Govender said he had attended more than 20 court sessions, and was sad that Vahed had never attempted to apologise to the family.
“Now, I just want my daughter to rest in peace, knowing that some justice has been served.”
Vahed, who had been released on warning, was remanded in custody. His family declined to comment.
The matter was adjourned to the end of the month for pre-sentencing reports.