Deadly crash was unavoidable
The trial of a man who is accused of murdering six people in a car crash resumed in the Swakopmund Regional Court yesterday.
Antonia Klara Joschko, who was involved in an accident in December 2014 in which her entire family died, testified in court yesterday.
“There was definitely no way my father could have avoided the collision as he saw the vehicle too late. It was too close and there was no time for him to swerve the car to either side of the road,” said the 19-year-old Joschko in the Swakopmund Regional Court. The accident, which claimed the lives of her father, Walter Helmut, 48, mother, Stephanie Dorothea Schemick, 49, and her older sister Alexandra, 19, occurred 12km outside Henties Bay on 29 December 2014. It is alleged that the accused, Jandré Dippenaar, was overtaking another vehicle when he smashed into the Joschkos' oncoming vehicle. The FJ Cruiser that Dippenaar was driving burst into flames while the passengers were still trapped in the vehicle. The people who died in Dippenaar's car were Dinah Pretorius, 30, Charlene Schoombe, 24, and JC Horn, 27. Joschko testified that they left Palmwag Lodge on the morning of the accident and drove towards Cape Cross where they stopped to have lunch and to view the seals.
From there they drove south in a rented Ford Ranger.
“On our way to Swakopmund, I was speaking to my sister who was sitting on the rear passenger seat with me. I was sitting behind my father, who was driving, and my mother was sitting in the front passenger seat. As we were driving up a small hill a big white vehicle suddenly appeared right in front of our car,” she said.
She said her father had no time to react to avoid a collision as Dippenaar's vehicle was too close and was travelling at very high speed.
“I feel that what my father did actually saved my life. He swerved the car to the right and the collision was more on the left front side and that meant I was furthest away from the point of impact. That to me is the reason I escaped death,” she testified.
According to her, the Ford Ranger rolled over on its roof and she was hanging upside down in her seatbelt when the vehicle came to a standstill. After she managed to free herself, she tried to open the door but could not do so because of severe pain in her arms, she testified.
“I managed to attract the attention of a bystander who smashed out the car window.
“I turned around and saw my sister next to me. I could only see her hair and her hand. I took her hand and told her that we will make it. However, the hand did not feel as though it was a living hand,” she said.
Paramedics arrived at the scene soon after the accident occurred and assisted Antonia and Dippenaar.
“The paramedics first went to the accused, who had a big wound on his leg. I tried to attract their attention as I felt I needed urgent medical attention because of the severe pain in my abdomen. One paramedic came and put me on a stretcher and carried me into the ambulance.
“I was told I had to wait until they finished with the accused before I could be taken to hospital. I did not feel good about being in the same ambulance as the accused so I asked them if we could go sooner,” Antonia testified.
According to her she was eventually transported to the Swakopmund State Hospital once another ambulance arrived.
She was transferred to a private hospital in Walvis Bay on the same day. She further testified that members of the Namibian police visited her the next day to take her statement. “I told them what I could remember, but there were quite a lot of problems as we struggled to understand one another. It took a long time and I found it very difficult to tell the police the correct details.
“It was important for me to tell them what happened and that the basics were in the statement. I read through the statement and made some corrections and signed it. I was tired and quite happy that this chapter was done,” she said. Dippenaar last year pleaded not guilty to six charges of murder, reckless and negligent driving, fraud and non-possession of a valid driver's licence. In his plea explanation, he claimed he could not remember anything about the accident and that he had done nothing to intentionally cause the accident or the deaths.
The trial was set down until Friday by Magistrate Gaynor Poulton but was postponed to today for cross-examination. Advocate Louis Botes represents the accused and prosecutor Faith Chipepera represents the State.
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“There was definitely no way my father could have avoided the collision as he saw the vehicle too late. It was too close and there was no time for him to swerve the car to either side of the road,” said the 19-year-old Joschko in the Swakopmund Regional Court. The accident, which claimed the lives of her father, Walter Helmut, 48, mother, Stephanie Dorothea Schemick, 49, and her older sister Alexandra, 19, occurred 12km outside Henties Bay on 29 December 2014. It is alleged that the accused, Jandré Dippenaar, was overtaking another vehicle when he smashed into the Joschkos' oncoming vehicle. The FJ Cruiser that Dippenaar was driving burst into flames while the passengers were still trapped in the vehicle. The people who died in Dippenaar's car were Dinah Pretorius, 30, Charlene Schoombe, 24, and JC Horn, 27. Joschko testified that they left Palmwag Lodge on the morning of the accident and drove towards Cape Cross where they stopped to have lunch and to view the seals.
From there they drove south in a rented Ford Ranger.
“On our way to Swakopmund, I was speaking to my sister who was sitting on the rear passenger seat with me. I was sitting behind my father, who was driving, and my mother was sitting in the front passenger seat. As we were driving up a small hill a big white vehicle suddenly appeared right in front of our car,” she said.
She said her father had no time to react to avoid a collision as Dippenaar's vehicle was too close and was travelling at very high speed.
“I feel that what my father did actually saved my life. He swerved the car to the right and the collision was more on the left front side and that meant I was furthest away from the point of impact. That to me is the reason I escaped death,” she testified.
According to her, the Ford Ranger rolled over on its roof and she was hanging upside down in her seatbelt when the vehicle came to a standstill. After she managed to free herself, she tried to open the door but could not do so because of severe pain in her arms, she testified.
“I managed to attract the attention of a bystander who smashed out the car window.
“I turned around and saw my sister next to me. I could only see her hair and her hand. I took her hand and told her that we will make it. However, the hand did not feel as though it was a living hand,” she said.
Paramedics arrived at the scene soon after the accident occurred and assisted Antonia and Dippenaar.
“The paramedics first went to the accused, who had a big wound on his leg. I tried to attract their attention as I felt I needed urgent medical attention because of the severe pain in my abdomen. One paramedic came and put me on a stretcher and carried me into the ambulance.
“I was told I had to wait until they finished with the accused before I could be taken to hospital. I did not feel good about being in the same ambulance as the accused so I asked them if we could go sooner,” Antonia testified.
According to her she was eventually transported to the Swakopmund State Hospital once another ambulance arrived.
She was transferred to a private hospital in Walvis Bay on the same day. She further testified that members of the Namibian police visited her the next day to take her statement. “I told them what I could remember, but there were quite a lot of problems as we struggled to understand one another. It took a long time and I found it very difficult to tell the police the correct details.
“It was important for me to tell them what happened and that the basics were in the statement. I read through the statement and made some corrections and signed it. I was tired and quite happy that this chapter was done,” she said. Dippenaar last year pleaded not guilty to six charges of murder, reckless and negligent driving, fraud and non-possession of a valid driver's licence. In his plea explanation, he claimed he could not remember anything about the accident and that he had done nothing to intentionally cause the accident or the deaths.
The trial was set down until Friday by Magistrate Gaynor Poulton but was postponed to today for cross-examination. Advocate Louis Botes represents the accused and prosecutor Faith Chipepera represents the State.
STAFF REPORTER
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