No mechanical failure in Dippenaar crash
Mechanical failure cannot be blamed for the horrific accident that killed six people between Henties Bay and Swakopmund on 29 December 2014.
This statement was made in the Regional Court in Swakopmund yesterday when the murder trial against Jandré Dippenaar resumed.
“Taking the age and service history of both vehicles involved in this accident into consideration, mechanical problem or premature failure was not the cause of this accident,” testified State witness Martin Graham, who made it clear that human error was responsible for the horrific accident.
The murder case resumed yesterday after a break of little over a month.
Dippenaar is charged with six counts of murder. He is accused of having driven a white Toyota FJ Cruiser without a driving licence, having overtaken on a blind rise and thereafter colliding head-on with an oncoming Ford Ranger.
Dippenaar was the only survivor among the four occupants of the FJ Cruiser. JC Horn, Dinah Pretorius and Charlene Schoombee were killed. Of the four German tourists travelling in the Ford Ranger, only teenager Antonia Joschko survived. She lost her mother, father and sister. Yesterday, mechanical expert Martin Graham testified that he had investigated the cause of the accident together with accident reconstruction expert Johan Joubert. Joubert has already testified in the matter. Graham, who examined the wreckage of both vehicles, described the FJ Cruiser as “brand new”, as it had less than 10 000 kilometres on the clock at the time of the accident.
The Ford Ranger had 31 265 kilometres on the odometer and could also be described as a new car.
Although the FJ Cruiser had gone up in flames after the collision Graham examined the remaining parts, including the suspension and brakes, and could not find any defect or failure.
He testified that he was particularly interested in why the FJ Cruiser had burst into flames immediately after the collision. He came to the conclusion that the fuel-injection system had been damaged on impact.
“The pressure of the fuel leak at 147 kilopascals (kPa) is considered sufficient to ignite on contact with an almost red-hot exhaust manifold,” he testified, adding that “this process is an instant explosive combustion”.
The exhaust manifold was “very hot” due to the “very high speed” the car had been doing.
“An electrical short due to the location of the fuel filter in relation to the main electrical fuse box as an ignition source cannot be ruled out either,” he added.
Graham further found that at least one person sitting in the back of the FJ Cruiser had put on his seatbelt because the buckle of a safety belt was still found in the lock.
“It is therefore a possibility that the person occupying that particular seat could have survived the initial impact, as indications are that the seatbelt was engaged,” he concluded.
The trial before Magistrate Gaynor Poulton is set to continue today. Dippenaar is represented by advocate Louis Botes and lawyer Petrie Theron. State Advocate Ethel Ndlovu and prosecutor Faith Tjipepera represent the State.
ERWIN LEUSCHNER
This statement was made in the Regional Court in Swakopmund yesterday when the murder trial against Jandré Dippenaar resumed.
“Taking the age and service history of both vehicles involved in this accident into consideration, mechanical problem or premature failure was not the cause of this accident,” testified State witness Martin Graham, who made it clear that human error was responsible for the horrific accident.
The murder case resumed yesterday after a break of little over a month.
Dippenaar is charged with six counts of murder. He is accused of having driven a white Toyota FJ Cruiser without a driving licence, having overtaken on a blind rise and thereafter colliding head-on with an oncoming Ford Ranger.
Dippenaar was the only survivor among the four occupants of the FJ Cruiser. JC Horn, Dinah Pretorius and Charlene Schoombee were killed. Of the four German tourists travelling in the Ford Ranger, only teenager Antonia Joschko survived. She lost her mother, father and sister. Yesterday, mechanical expert Martin Graham testified that he had investigated the cause of the accident together with accident reconstruction expert Johan Joubert. Joubert has already testified in the matter. Graham, who examined the wreckage of both vehicles, described the FJ Cruiser as “brand new”, as it had less than 10 000 kilometres on the clock at the time of the accident.
The Ford Ranger had 31 265 kilometres on the odometer and could also be described as a new car.
Although the FJ Cruiser had gone up in flames after the collision Graham examined the remaining parts, including the suspension and brakes, and could not find any defect or failure.
He testified that he was particularly interested in why the FJ Cruiser had burst into flames immediately after the collision. He came to the conclusion that the fuel-injection system had been damaged on impact.
“The pressure of the fuel leak at 147 kilopascals (kPa) is considered sufficient to ignite on contact with an almost red-hot exhaust manifold,” he testified, adding that “this process is an instant explosive combustion”.
The exhaust manifold was “very hot” due to the “very high speed” the car had been doing.
“An electrical short due to the location of the fuel filter in relation to the main electrical fuse box as an ignition source cannot be ruled out either,” he added.
Graham further found that at least one person sitting in the back of the FJ Cruiser had put on his seatbelt because the buckle of a safety belt was still found in the lock.
“It is therefore a possibility that the person occupying that particular seat could have survived the initial impact, as indications are that the seatbelt was engaged,” he concluded.
The trial before Magistrate Gaynor Poulton is set to continue today. Dippenaar is represented by advocate Louis Botes and lawyer Petrie Theron. State Advocate Ethel Ndlovu and prosecutor Faith Tjipepera represent the State.
ERWIN LEUSCHNER
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