Watch: Unseen dashcam footage reveals chilling moments before Vaal scholar transport tragedy

Previously unseen dashcam footage has emerged, offering a stark new perspective on the fatal scholar transport crash in Vanderbijlpark as authorities continue to probe the circumstances that led to the deaths of 12 learners, according to the Gauteng Department of Health.

The video, captured by a camera fitted inside the truck involved in the collision, shows the heavy vehicle travelling steadily along the road as oncoming traffic passes without incident. For several seconds, conditions appear calm and controlled.

That changes abruptly when a scholar transport minibus taxi enters the truck’s lane from the opposite direction. The minibus appears to have little time to correct its course. In the final moments before impact, it veers towards the right-hand shoulder, seemingly in an attempt to escape the path of the oncoming truck.

Almost simultaneously, the truck is seen drifting left, into the same space the minibus is moving towards. The clip suggests both drivers attempted evasive action, but the distance between the vehicles closes rapidly, leaving no meaningful opportunity to avoid a collision. The impact follows almost immediately.

While the footage captures the frantic seconds before the crash, it does not conclusively show whether the truck driver had enough time or space to brake significantly before the collision. Investigators are expected to analyse the footage alongside other evidence as part of the ongoing probe.

The dashcam video has added a new layer to an investigation already focused on the background of the minibus driver and the legality of the scholar transport operation, following Monday’s devastating crash in Vanderbijlpark in the Vaal.

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Cape Argus