By Everson Luhanga
While the families of the survivors of the M1 highway horror crash victims claim they have not yet been informed whether their loved ones are dead or hospitalised, Scrolla.Africa has traced one survivor.
Courdnell Khosa, 37, should be in a jail cell at Sun City prison, instead, he’s in Charlotte Maxeke Hospital in Johannesburg nursing serious wounds.
Khosa survived the crash that claimed the lives of five people. The vehicle carrying him to prison to start a 10-year jail sentence after conviction on drug-related charges was in a head-on crash on the M1 highway on Monday.
Courdnell’s older brother, Doctor Khosa from Alexandra, north of Johannesburg, said he saw his brother in a hospital bed on Wednesday.
Courdnell was arrested in 2016 in Kempton Park. He first attended his case at the Kempton Park Magistrate’s Court but the case was transferred to the Alexandra Magistrate’s Court.
Khosa said he attended the court proceedings on Monday when the judgement was handed down.
“I even spoke to him. After a long court battle, Courdenll and his co-accused were found guilty on 9 July. I attended the court proceedings of my brother earlier on Monday. I even spoke to him,” Khosa said.
“As a family we accepted the judgement.”
The day Courdnell and his co-accused were supposed to start serving their jail sentences, they nearly died when the double cab bakkie they were being transported in to Sun City Prison was involved in an accident.
Khosa said his brother worked for the South African National Defence Force for three years. He later worked for the South African Revenue Service from 2008 until 2016, when he was arrested for a drug-related case. Courdnell lost his job at SARS after his arrest.
“After his second court case appearance, he was released on bail and he has been attending the case ever since,” said Khosa.
Gauteng provincial police spokesperson Colonel Dimakatso Nevhuhulwi said police are investigating a culpable homicide case following a vehicle collision on 23 October on the M1 near the Athol Oakland off-ramp.
”It is alleged that the driver of a Ford Ranger bakkie lost control of the vehicle amid a road rage incident with another vehicle causing him to collide with a police vehicle transporting prisoners from court,” she said.
She said eight male prisoners, two female prisoners, and the driver were in the bakkie. Three male prisoners, one female prisoner, and the driver who was a police officer, were declared dead on the scene while other victims including the driver of the Ford Ranger were taken to hospital with injuries.
“A case of culpable homicide has been opened for further investigations,” she said.
Pictured above: Courdnell Khosa.
Image source: Supplied
