DURBAN, February 7 (ANA) – A man has been arrested for alleged drunken driving and culpable homicide after two cyclists were killed when his car hit them on a Durban highway early on Sunday morning.
KwaZulu-Natal SA Police Service (SAPS) spokesman Brigadier Jay Naicker said the 33-year-old man was expected to appear in court soon.
Provincial Emergency Medical Service (EMS) spokesman Robert McKenzie said the accident happened shortly after 5am on the M4 highway, also known as the Ruth First Highway. The two cyclists were part of a group of 40 cyclists passing the Hypermarket-by-the-Sea when a car ploughed into them.
Netcare 911 spokesman Chris Botha said the Netcare 911 advanced life support paramedic and his team arrived at the scene and found the men lying on the road. “Tragically, they both died due the extensive injuries that they sustained.”
Rescue Care Paramedics spokesman Garrith Jamieson said the driver of the car sustained minor injuries. It was believed that the cyclists were on a training cycle, he said.
However, the 33-year old man was not the only person arrested.
“The Durban North police and the SAPS collision unit attended the scene and another driver knocked the collision unit vehicle. He was also arrested for [alleged] drunk driving and reckless and negligent driving,” said Naicker.
That driver would also appear in the Durban Magistrate’s Court soon, he said.
KwaZulu-Natal Road Traffic Inspectorate spokeswoman Zinhle Mngomezulu said it was illegal to cycle on a highway, unless “it is a controlled event”, such as a race where traffic authorities controlled and limited traffic. She also said it was illegal for pedestrians to be on a highway.
It was not immediately known if other cyclists in the group were facing charges for cycling on a highway.
– African News Agency (ANA)
