'Suicidal' man killed 8 Brits

2004-01-02 09:46

Cape Town - British authorities are not blaming the driver of a minibus that overturned on New Year's Eve when it hit a pedestrian on the R74 near Bergville in KwaZulu-Natal.

The pedestrian, 20-year-old Pelepele Miya, had been "walking around telling people he wanted to kill himself," according to the UK Guardian newspaper. The report quoted a witness as saying that he had been walking in front of other cars.

"Most cars were stopping or going round him. The bus tried to avoid him, but the trailer hit him," said Buyisiwe Miya.

The 18-seat Mercedes Sprinter minibus had been carrying a trailer containing the tourists' luggage. They had been on their way to the Royal Natal National Park in the Drakensberg mountains when tragedy struck on the road between Harrismith and Bergville.

"The bus was travelling at about 100km/h, and the driver didn't stand a chance," said the witness. "He slammed on his brakes but the trailer jack-knifed."

Eight passengers died when the bus flipped, strewing "bodies all over the road". Two British tourists and a Canadian survived, along with the South African driver and tour guide.

London-based Exodus Travels, who had organised the 17-day holiday, said the minibus was fully licenced and that the driver was experienced and used regularly by the company. The relatives of those who died are being flown out to South Africa by Exodus.

A British foreign office spokesperson, quoted on Sky News, says: "It was one of those tragic accidents. Someone ran out into the road. There was a police investigation, and they are not blaming the driver."

The foreign office identified the victims as eye surgeon Roger Pearce, 60, and his wife Linda, 49, from Rickmansworth, Hertfordshire; Neil Pike, 35, and Christine Rowe, 30, of Preston, Lancashire; Anthony Egan, 65, from Surbiton, Surrey; and Thomas Harris, 65, from Cardiff, Wales. The British survivors were Sonia Willhoft, who was Egan's wife, and Andrew Robertson.

The survivors have refused to speak to the media, but the three daughters of Roger and Linda Pearce have spoken of their loss. The trip was a celebration of Roger's 60th birthday and his recent retirement.

A friend of the Lancashire couple said they had recently moved in together and become engaged, and were "well suited," Laura Hunt told the Sun newspaper.

- News24