Outraged victims of a horrendous bridge accident in Durban last week want justice and will use the services of a private investigator and attorneys to help police get to the bottom of the deaths of Gillian Bell (32), her son Connor (8) and dance teacher Carmen Hunter (19).
The three were killed in a multiple vehicle pile up on the Athlone Bridge last Saturday.
A number of other people were injured, including, Durban lawyer Koobashan Naicker (41); Durban North resident Tracy Barter (44), and Kayla Martin (4) and her sister Jenna (6), from Morningside.
The accident occurred mid-afternoon on a clear and sunny day.
According to the accident report, Naiker’s Mercedes Benz ML 3320 CDI was driving in a northerly direction and the other vehicles were in the south-bound lanes when the crash occurred.
Some of the vehicles collided head-on and the scooter driven by Hunter was entirely destroyed.
Two more vehicles were struck by debris, but their occupants were uninjured.
A photograph taken at the scene soon after the accident indicates that Bell’s car was struck with such force that it ended up far behind Barter’s car.
An angry Jason Bell, Gillian’s widower, said this week that he was considering civil action, depending upon police progress with the investigation.
The Tribune learned that on Tuesday this week the bridge was closed to traffic while experts apparently reconstructed the scene.
Police have questioned a number of people in connection with the accident, which was followed by an outpouring of grief and anger.
Alan Barter, whose wife, Tracy, was injured, along with the Martin girls, said he was livid: “We are so, so angry, and so are hundreds of other people in Durban and around the world.”
Tracy Barter escaped serious injury, while the Martin girls sustained hip and head injuries and spent a week in hospital.
“Given the severity of this, we would have expected police to fast-track the course of justice,” said Barter.
“We will meet with Jason Bell and Carmen Hunter’s parents next week and take legal advice.
“It is likely that we will hire a qualified private investigator and a criminal attorney to bring all the elements of this case together so that the prosecution team will be well briefed.
“The investigating officer (Warrant Officer Freddie Snodgrass) seems competent, but we don’t know what his workload is. The private route seems the logical way to go.”
Barter said he couldn’t understand why charges hadn’t been laid.
“So many lives have been wrecked.”
Trevor Martin, Jenna and Kayla’s father, said that Saturday “was any parent’s worst nightmare,” and expressed his profound sadness for the families of those who lost their lives.
“The scene was absolute carnage. It looked like someone had lobbed a grenade into the traffic,” he said.
“I got a call from a friend at the accident scene. It took me less than five minutes to get there. I was frantic. I stopped my car where the ambulances were parked and ran up towards the bridge. I begged the cops to let me through. I said my kids were up there.
“Kayla was being held by my friend and he handed her to me. Her eyes were huge and she showed no emotion. Jenna was still in the car with a huge gash to her forehead.”
Martin said that while his elder daughter seemed to be recovering well, the younger one was battling with psychological trauma “She wakes up screaming in fear. She saw things no child should have.
“I just want to see justice for the families. I will support the bereaved families in any private court action they think appropriate.”
While Snodgrass told the Tribune on Friday that the investigation docket had been handed over, SAPS spokesman Captain Khephu Ndlovu said the investigations were not yet complete. He confirmed that three counts of culpable homicide had been registered, but that no arrests had been made.
“When the docket is complete it will be up to the prosecutors to decide on possible prosecution.”
When asked for confirmation about details in the accident report, that one of the drivers was suspected of drug and alcohol abuse, Ndlovu said it was not always possible to do a breathalyser test on drivers who were involved in accidents. But this did not necessarily mean this would affect the prosecution.
Gillian and Connor Bell were laid to rest on Wednesday and Carmen Hunter’s funeral was conducted in her hometown, Empangeni, on Friday.
The popular ballet teacher’s life was honoured by her pupils in a moving candlelight ceremony on Athlone Bridge, during which flowers and cards were placed at the spot where she died.
Carmen’s mother Wendy said her daughter, who attended St Catherine’s in Empangeni, was living her dream of dancing.
“She was a wonderful, caring, gentle child who gave us so much joy and treasured memories. There are no words to describe our grief.”
The Tribune could not get hold of Naiker for an interview.
This week Transport Minister S’bu Ndebele announced the formation of a crack national traffic intervention unit, aimed at reducing the 1 000 road deaths that are recorded every month in South Africa.
Ndebele’s spokesman, Logan Maistry, said yesterday that the unit would zero in on drunk driving.
“The stats are high. From October last year to March this year, 10 000 drunken drivers have been arrested in our country.”
He said the department was working closely with the Department of Justice to formulate charges against drunk drivers who caused multiple deaths.
“Many of these drivers are charged with culpable homicide, but we want to look at how they can be charged with murder and receive a harsher sentence,” said Maistry.
Caro Smith who heads the local organisation South Africans Against Drunk Driving and who lost her son, Chas Smith, after he was run down in an accident, said more than 60 percent of accidents were caused by alcohol.
She said drunk drivers involved in fatal crashes should be charged with murder.
“Murder does sound like a better charge as the menaces should be locked away for a long time.” - Tribune