Tipper truck driver in court for Umhlanga M41 pile-up
A 22-year-old truck driver made his first appearance at the Durban Magistrate's Court on Wednesday in connection with this week's major pile-up in Umhlanga.
The matter has been remanded to 15 March for bail investigation and for verification of home address, among other documents, including his licence.
Sithulile Zulu, dressed in a cream top and an army green jacket, stood quietly in the dock with his head slightly bowed and his hands in front of him.
He is facing two charges, one for negligent and reckless driving and another for failure to comply with the duties of a driver following an accident.
READ: Umhlanga pile-up shows need to tighten transport regulations, warns RFA
On Monday morning, 16 people, including a pregnant woman, were injured when the driver of the tipper truck lost control of his vehicle and ploughed into 47 cars in slow-moving traffic on the M41.
The truck came to a stop when it crashed a few metres away from the pile-up.
The driver fled the scene. Later that evening, he turned himself over to the police.
The truck, which was carrying Platinum Chrome, was cordoned off as samples of its load were taken.
It took emergency service seven hours to clear the scene.
