The truck driver allegedly responsible for the horror East Rand crash on Tuesday has two previous convictions - one for culpable homicide and one for reckless and negligent driving.
This emerged yesterday during Isaac Maruding's first appearance in the Palm Ridge Magistrate's Court. The 44-year-old from Viljoenskroon in the Free State was not asked to plead.
He was arrested in Potchefstroom a day after the truck he was driving was involved in a 39-car pile-up on the N12 in Alberton. Four people died and 16 were injured.
The driver hid his face from the media in court. He faces four charges of culpable homicide and one of reckless and negligent driving.
Prosecutor John Ntuli told the court that the accused had been sentenced in 1999 to 18 months' imprisonment for culpable homicide. He had been found guilty of reckless and negligent driving in 1997 and sentenced to 18 months in jail. This sentence was suspended for four years.
His driver's licence was endorsed for 12 months for each of the convictions.
Ntuli asked for the matter to be postponed for a number of reasons, including to establish whether or not the earlier culpable homicide conviction arose from a driving incident.
The state also wants more time to identify two of the deceased and their families, and to investigate whether Maruding's driver's licence was valid at the time of the accident.
It wants to establish why he was not arrested at the crash scene.
Ntuli added that the state was looking at adding more charges.
Magistrate Zithulele Hlubi granted the postponement to Tuesday.
"Clearly there is not enough evidence upon which a bail application can proceed," Hlubi said.
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