Vaal scholar crash: Driver now faces 14 murder charges

A 22-year-old minibus driver linked to the Vanderbijlpark scholar transport crash has been charged with 14 counts of murder after two more pupils died in hospital, taking the death toll to 14.

The driver appeared in the Vanderbijlpark Magistrate’s Court south Africa on Thursday, where he abandoned his bail application. The case was postponed to 5 March for further proceedings as reported by eNCA.

Police said the two additional learners died in hospital in the early hours of Thursday morning. Their deaths brought the total number of fatalities in the crash to 14.

The crash happened on Monday morning near Vanderbijlpark in Gauteng as pupils were travelling to school. Initial reports in the days after the collision varied as authorities worked to verify casualties and identify victims, with some updates placing the toll at 12 before later deaths were confirmed.

Charges upgraded as investigation continues

Prosecutors initially enrolled the matter as culpable homicide, but the National Prosecuting Authority said the charges have since been changed to murder. The driver also faces three counts of attempted murder, alongside allegations of reckless and negligent driving.

Earlier police briefings following the crash had indicated the driver was facing multiple counts of culpable homicide, reflecting the status of the case before Thursday’s charge upgrade.

Authorities have not yet provided full detail in court on the basis for the escalation from culpable homicide to murder, but investigators have indicated they are still probing the circumstances of the collision, including compliance issues linked to scholar transport operations.

Permit concerns and alleged overtaking