Johannesburg -
An accident specialist miscalculated the speed of the car involved in the crash that killed Nelson Mandela's granddaughter, the Johannesburg Magistrate's Court heard on Wednesday.
Kenny Oldwadge, for the driver of the Mercedes-Benz, Sizwe Mankazana, said he had consulted with an expert who found accident specialist Craig Proctor-Parker's calculation “erroneous”.
“A speed of 162km/h could not be arrived at,” said Oldwadge.
Proctor-Parker, under cross-examination, confirmed there was a mistake, but said his opinion was that excessive speed was a major cause of the accident.
He also conceded it was possible the car may have been travelling at a speed lower than 100km/h.
Mankazana, 25, a friend of the Mandela family, faces a charge of culpable homicide, and another of reckless or negligent driving. He was taking Zenani Mandela home from a World Cup concert on the night of June 11, 2010, when they crashed just before the double-decker section of the M1 highway. The vehicle hit a steel barrier, which penetrated the car.
Zenani, in the back seat, was killed. Mankazana and another passenger were slightly injured, but neither went to hospital.
Oldwadge asked the witness whether tyre failure could have contributed to the accident.
“Yes,” responded Proctor-Parker.
On Monday, he told the court there had been no evidence of a flat or burst tyre.
Oldwadge said had the car and tyres been properly examined, his client would not be standing in court.
“This client of mine has been through absolute turmoil,” he said.
Earlier, the court heard that a nail had been found in one of the car's tyres after a second inspection.
“The nail was embedded in the tyre... and went through the casing,” Oldwadge said.
“There was slow deflation... because of the penetration.”
Oldwadge questioned several aspects of Proctor-Parker's report, submitting it was not accurate.
The case was postponed to Thursday. - Sapa