Footage key piece of evidence in Watson crash

● Shuttle driver says he thought former Bosasa boss was rushing to catch a flight when his Toyota ploughed into a pillar in OR Tambo precinct

An interview conducted at the scene of former Bosasa boss Gavin Watson’s fatal accident and CCTV footage from e-toll gantries will be crucial to establishing the final moments before the crash.

It is believed that the SA National Roads Agency is expected to be subpoenaed for the footage of the car Watson was travelling in before the accident in the early hours of Monday.

An eyewitness, meanwhile, said that Watson was driving at high speed when the company-owned Toyota Corolla ploughed into a bridge pillar within the precinct of OR Tambo International Airport.

Accident investigator Konrad Lotter, who has been hired by Watson’s family to help figure out how the crash occurred, said he was pursuing several possibilities.

“I was on the scene for two hours today [Tuesday] looking for any evidence or clues that may have been missed.

“I conducted an interview, which was crucial.

“When I finished I had three more possibilities as to what may have caused this accident,” he said, declining to elaborate on who he had interviewed.

Lotter said he was looking at nine scenarios at least.

“These could increase or, as evidence is gathered, decrease.

“The moment you look at only one cause is when you lose the possibility of solving an accident.”

Asked whether speed or another vehicle could have been involved, he said nothing could be ruled out at the moment.

“The investigation is in its infancy. It’s going to be like putting a puzzle together . . . piece by piece.”

His investigation would start from the point where the car came to a stop and would work its way backwards.

“You look at CCTV footage from toll gantries and from buildings along the route, you look at cellphone tower signals.

“You look at everything that helps you retrace a vehicle’s route so that you can put the picture together.

“In 98% of accident investigations the evidence speaks for

Investigations could take up to three months given extent of damage to vehicle

itself, but in the remaining 2% it does not,” Lotter said.

“Depending on how quickly the evidence is gathered, and especially preserved, which is crucial for identifying accident causes, I believe this case could fall within the 2% category.”

Lotter said that to establish the cause of the accident all sources of information needed to be found.

“From there you gather and process the information to either eliminate or add possibilities. But, even then, there is no guarantee of narrowing the cause down to a single source.

“This is where how the scene is secured and evidence preserved becomes crucial.

“Because of the extreme forces occurring in accidents, evidence can initially be lost or hidden,” he said.

“The clock is ticking with the biggest challenges to an investigation securing the evidence in time before it is destroyed, contaminated or lost.”

Such investigations could take three months, given the extensive damage to the car.

“It requires waiting for reports from autopsies, especially blood analysis, so that no crucial clue is missed.”

When Times Select asked Sanral for access to possible footage of the vehicle on the morning of the accident, an emailed reply said: “The matter is currently under investigation by the [National Prosecuting Authority] and [Road Traffic Management Corporation].

“Sanral is expecting a subpoena for the release of all the information in this regard.

“This matter is now sub judice. No information can therefore be released.”

Shuttle driver Mphahlele Wa Kgosi, who witnessed the accident, said he was on his way to the airport to drop off a client for a 6am flight.

“It was early in the morning and there was not a lot of traffic. There was a [Toyota] Corolla in front of me, which was driving in the far right [lane].

“I took the far left [lane] for departures.”

He said he thought that by taking the lane on the far right, the Corolla was on its way to the car rental parking or taking a shortcut to domestic arrivals.

“I was so surprised because he was travelling at a high speed, but I thought maybe he is rushing for a flight because it was early in the morning.

“In a split second after taking the far right [lane], he went straight into the pillar.

“The Corolla spun around and the bumper came off.

“When I drove past, I saw it was badly damaged.

“I didn’t stop because I was with a client.

“There wasn’t any distraction in his way. Maybe he was texting and driving, but I don’t know,” Wa Kgosi said.

He said he saw a picture of the crash trending on Twitter later on Monday, and then realised it was Watson’s car.

● According to the SABC, Watson’s funeral will be held in Port Elizabeth on Wednesday September 4, but this could not be confirmed on Tuesday night.