No mechanical fault found with car that hit six joggers, killing five of them
THERE were no mechanical problems with the car that struck six joggers in Midrand two years ago.
Testifying in Pretoria High Court yesterday, SAPS Warrant Officer Terence Murphy said: “There was no problem with the steering, the brakes or suspension of the vehicle.”
Murphy checked the mechanical aspects of the car.
He told the court that Sibusiso Langa’s Mercedes ML500 had blood splatters and there was also damage to the windscreen.
“The handbrake was off. The park brake was also never applied, but the keys were removed from the ignition, so the car moved back a bit before the gearbox locked. Nothing in the car would have contributed to the driver losing control.”
He said the tyres of the automatic car were in perfect condition and the headlights were on at the time of the collision.
“The car’s ABS braking system does not allow wheels to cease rotation when brakes are applied and this gives the driver control over the steering. The tyres locked briefly after impact and came to rest.”
Langa’s advocate, Richard Mkhabela, argued that if there was nothing wrong with the ABS system, the tyres would not have locked.
Langa, 44, is charged with five counts of murder, one of attempted murder and two related to diving under the influence of alcohol. He allegedly drove into the joggers – Moroese Mokoatsi, Reneilwe Lesenyeho, Given Mills, Isaac Tlale, Nomvula Dumako and Khanyiswa Sthengile – in October 2011 on Lever Road, Midrand. Only Sthengile, who will testify next week, survived.
Pathologist Dr Shirley Moeng, who did Tlale’s autopsy, said he had died from multiple lacerations and injuries. He had a laceration to the brain, a fracture to the left forearm and the spine was dislocated.
“The left upper arm was shattered at multiple levels and there was a fracture to the thigh bone and the leg was shortened. You could move the head separately from the body. The branches going to the heart were cut off. It shows that the impact was at high speed.”
Prosecutor Mervyn Menigo asked for the case to be adjourned to today as the district surgeon who took Langa’s blood samples was not available.
Judge Bert Bam said: “Are you still going to use the blood samples, even with the threehour problem? I do not want the case to be delayed without good reasons.”
Earlier, metro cop Bongani Nkosi said he took Langa to get his blood drawn to be tested for alcohol at least three hours after the accident. Nkosi said he took Langa to the Hillbrow district surgeon because the ones in Midrand and Randburg were closed.