RTMC probing claims driver of crashed Ekurhuleni Metro bus was speeding

JOHANNESBURG - Surivors of a fatal crash on the R21 highway have described the driver of the Ekurhuleni Metro bus as a notorious speedster.

At least 16 people were killed in the crash that happened at around 6am on Tuesday morning near the OR Tambo International Airport.

Forty-five people, including the driver, were taken to nearby hospitals and the freeway has now been reopened after the bodies of the deceased were removed.

There's lots of speculations about what could have happened before an Ekurhuleni Metro bus carrying commuters from Katlehong rolled several times before landing on its side.

Some commuters said the driver was speeding before the crash happened.

One commuter was sitting at the back of the bus.

"The people that saw say the driver was speeding and a car that was driving slowly tried to cut in, in front of it. The driver tried to overtake but the bus lost control. This is the bus I take every day. I always complain that the driver is speeding," he said.

The Road Traffic Management Corporation's Simon Zwane said they were investigating the allegations of the driver speeding.

"Once the bus has been taken, we do full mechanical investigation of vehicles to see whether the vehicles were roadworthy and investigating the speeds and any other factor than can help us understand what the main cause of the crash was."

While the death toll now stands at 16, Zwane said these numbers may rise as the evening progressed.