Appeal court rules in Sanral’s favour

2013-03-15 11:32

Johannesburg - The Supreme Court of Appeal has ruled that the SA National Roads Agency Limited (Sanral) cannot be held liable for a car accident involving a kudu, it was reported on Friday.

The kudu jumped out of dense bush next to a Limpopo road on 13 February 2006 and hit the car of Dirk Crafford, 49, of Ellisras, who had been driving home on the road between Thabazimbi, reported Beeld.

The animal went straight through the windscreen and hit his face. He lost an eye and has severe facial scarring.

Crafford reportedly claimed R3.25m from Sanral, arguing that the grass next to the road was so long he could not see the kudu.

According to Beeld, he said Sanral was responsible for maintaining short grassy verges along national roads.

The appeal judges said the accident would have happened even if the grass had been short.

This was partly because a kudu's dun-coloured body made it harder to see at night, and also because the animal moved so fast that Crafford could not have avoided an accident.

- SAPA