PRETORIA - A 31-year-old who allegedly crashed into and killed two motorcyclists with his mother's Hummer will make his first court appearance soon, police said on Wednesday.
But it might have taken the threat of a mass protest ride sanctioned by the Christian Motorcycle Association and organised by the Pretoria Bikers' Council to get things moving more than than a year after the multiple collision.
The Hummer was apparently being driven on the wrong side of the road and it was later said that the driver had fled to Zimbabwe.
MORE CHARGES POSSIBLE
Spokesman Warrant Officer Mathews Nkoadi said the man would face two charges of culpable homicide for the deaths of bikers Johannes Kruger and Pieter Coetzee. Coetzee's son, who was riding alongside his father, lost a leg in the crash.
"We may still bring more charges," Nkoadi said.
The case is set down to be heard in the Pretoria North Regional Court on December 12, 2011.
Kruger and Coetzee were killed on October 16, 2010 when their motorcycles and the Hummer collided on Rachel de Beer Road, Pretoria North. The motorcycles and the Hummer caught fire, Coetzee and Kruger died at the scene and the 31-year driver apparently fled.
Nkoadi's announcement that the Hummer driver would be prosecuted followed an announcement by the Pretoria Bikers' Council that they would organise a mass protest ride to the accident scene on Saturday.
"The run will be to protest against the fact that there is an inconsistent application of the law in South Africa," said PBC secretary Marc Laubscher. "There has been no real progress in this case for more than a year, even though other cases have already been through the courts and have seen justice served."
A petition complaining about the way the police handled the matter was expected to be handed to police in Pretoria North.
'EVERYTHING HANGING'
Dirk Muller, a biker and a friend of the Coetzee family, said the fact that the case had not been finalised had resulted in financial hardship for the family because insurance policieswould not pay out.
"Everything is just left hanging in the air. It's very rough on them."
He hoped as many as 4000 bikers would attend Saturday's ride.
But it might have taken the threat of a mass protest ride sanctioned by the Christian Motorcycle Association and organised by the Pretoria Bikers' Council to get things moving more than than a year after the multiple collision.
The Hummer was apparently being driven on the wrong side of the road and it was later said that the driver had fled to Zimbabwe.
MORE CHARGES POSSIBLE
Spokesman Warrant Officer Mathews Nkoadi said the man would face two charges of culpable homicide for the deaths of bikers Johannes Kruger and Pieter Coetzee. Coetzee's son, who was riding alongside his father, lost a leg in the crash.
"We may still bring more charges," Nkoadi said.
The case is set down to be heard in the Pretoria North Regional Court on December 12, 2011.
Kruger and Coetzee were killed on October 16, 2010 when their motorcycles and the Hummer collided on Rachel de Beer Road, Pretoria North. The motorcycles and the Hummer caught fire, Coetzee and Kruger died at the scene and the 31-year driver apparently fled.
Nkoadi's announcement that the Hummer driver would be prosecuted followed an announcement by the Pretoria Bikers' Council that they would organise a mass protest ride to the accident scene on Saturday.
"The run will be to protest against the fact that there is an inconsistent application of the law in South Africa," said PBC secretary Marc Laubscher. "There has been no real progress in this case for more than a year, even though other cases have already been through the courts and have seen justice served."
A petition complaining about the way the police handled the matter was expected to be handed to police in Pretoria North.
'EVERYTHING HANGING'
Dirk Muller, a biker and a friend of the Coetzee family, said the fact that the case had not been finalised had resulted in financial hardship for the family because insurance policieswould not pay out.
"Everything is just left hanging in the air. It's very rough on them."
He hoped as many as 4000 bikers would attend Saturday's ride.