Death crash driver disputes 
expert’s evidence

THE defence team of a man charged with murder over a horror road crash near Henties Bay at the end of 2014 are questioning the calculations and findings of a traffic accident expert who has testified as a state witness in the Swakopmund Regional Court.

South African road accident reconstruction expert Johan Joubert’s calculations and findings do not stand the test of closer examination and interrogation, murder accused Jandré Dippenaar’s defence counsel, Louis Botes, claimed as Dippenaar’s trial continued before magistrate Gaynor Poulton this week.

Dippenaar faces six counts of murder and charges of reckless or negligent driving, fraud and driving without a valid driving licence in connection with a crash in which German tourists Markus Joschko (48) and Stephanie Joschko (49) and their daughter Alexandra Joschko (19) were killed on 29 December 2014.

A Gobabis resident, Dinah Pretorius (30), and Windhoek residents Charlene Schoombee (24) and JC Horn (27) also lost their lives in the collision.

The youngest member of the Joschko family, Antonia Joschko (then aged 16), and Dippenaar were the only survivors.

Dippenaar has pleaded not guilty to all the charges.

The state’s experts are suggesting the collision was not due to mechanical problems and the Toyota FJ Cruiser which Dippenaar was driving at the time was travelling at high speed and in the wrong lane before it collided with a Ford Ranger pickup in which the Joschko family was travelling.

Dippenaar’s defence team have been alleging that the deadly crash was caused when the Joschko family’s vehicle moved into the lane in which Dippenaar’s car was approaching.

Botes this week accused Joubert of “manipulating” sketches of the findings depicted in his accident report. Joubert denied the accusation.

Questioning Joubert about sketches claimed to have been made by him, but which differ from sketches in his accident report, Botes accused the witness of trying to “make the impossible possible” when it came to depicting the accident scene.

Joubert, however, said his measurements and drawings were correct.

Botes also questioned the scale of the components of Joubert’s figures and the formulas used to depict the speed of the vehicles, the position the vehicles came to a halt in, as well as the point of collision.

While Joubert maintained that the point of collision was on the Joschko family’s side of the road, Botes said this was based on erroneous formulae and calculations, and could therefore not be trusted. Botes said the only physical evidence suggested the point of collision was in Dippenaar’s lane of the road.

The state concluded its case yesterday with Joubert being the last of its witnesses.

The trial, which started in January 2017, was postponed to July 2022, when defence witnesses are expected to testify.

Antonia Joschko travelled from Germany to attend the continuation of the trial this week.

Although she said she has managed to deal with the sudden loss of her entire family, she added that the finalisation of the trial would bring closure.

“It is hard. Especially hearing how they are trying to pin the blame on my father,” she said.