
- A man who drove into a cyclist in Fourways, Johannesburg in 2020 has pleaded guilty to culpable homicide and driving under the influence of alcohol.
- Ishe Davani conceded that he was drunk and grossly negligent when he lost control of his vehicle and crashed into cyclist Steven Preston, killing him.
- The matter has been postponed for arguments and possible sentencing.
A 43-year-old man pleaded guilty to charges of culpable homicide and driving under the influence of alcohol when he appeared in the Randburg Magistrate's Court in Johannesburg on Monday.
Ishe Davani drove into Steven Preston, who was cycling in Fourways, on 11 June 2020. The incident happened on Uranium Street, opposite the Ambar Downs residential complex.
In his plea explanation, Davani admitted that he was negligent and under the influence when he climbed into his BMW to go buy headache medication for his mother at around 13:00. Davani said he had lost control of the vehicle and, at one point, veered completely off the road.
He then struck Preston, who was on the side of the road at the entrance of a complex.
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News24 previously reported that Emer-G-Med paramedics were the first to arrive at the scene.
At the time, Emer-G-Med chief operating officer Jurgen Kotze said members of the public alerted the team to a cyclist who had been involved in a "significant accident".
Kotze said "the BMW came around the corner, and the driver lost control and struck the cyclist".
He added:
After the court found Davani guilty of culpable homicide and driving under the influence of alcohol, the State and defence moved to arguments in aggravation and mitigation of sentence.