Now it is being alleged that the tragic death of John Bondt (63) of Bloekom Street, Rheenendal may have been avoided had the Eden District Municipality Roads Department ensured that the foliage was trimmed.
Bondt died in an accident in which a CG Terblanche & Sons long-haul logging truck (which he was driving) and a Leeuwenbosch Dairies Tata truck collided at the intersection.
"It is alleged that a white Tata truck, a dairy delivery vehicle, entered the T-junction when it collided with a Mercedes truck, a timber delivery vehicle that was travelling from the Karatara direction. Both vehicles overturned and the Mercedes truck came to a standstill in the bushes on the side of the road," explained Knysna Police spokesperson,Chris Spies.
Bondt died at the scene due to the multiple injuries which he had sustained. The driver of the Leewenbosch Dairies truck as well as the passenger in the CG Terblanche & Sons truck were transported to hospital for further medical treatment.
"I am so relieved that our driver wasn't more seriously injured," said Hein Beyleveld of Leeuwenbosch Dairies. "Our heartfelt condolences go to the family of the deceased," he added.
According to Marius Terblanche of CG Terblanche & Sons, the injured passenger was discharged from hospital on Monday evening. "We are so thankful for that," he said. The company are offering both financial and emotional support to the Bondt family during this tragic time. "His family are bearing up as well as could be expected under these circumstances," he added.
At time of going to print Bondt's funeral arrangements had not yet been finalised, "A preliminary date of December 14 has been set aside," concluded Terblanche.
Motorists using the Ruigtevlei/ Old George Road intersection had allegedly been complaining of the bad visibility due to the overgrown foliage.
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