Cape Town - A case of culpable homicide has been opened against a 22-year-old driver who drove over a homeless man, killing him, and crashed into a luxury car dealership in Cape Town.
The accident happened at 02:43 early on Tuesday morning, Viglietti Motors CEO Mervyn Eagles told News24.
A homeless man who witnessed the incident told the Cape Argus he heard the car, a Mazda 323, rev up and then saw the car crashing through the front of the dealership which stocks luxury cars such as Maseratis and Ferraris.
Four other people who were also sleeping in front of the dealership managed to escape unharmed.
Moments before the accident, the driver was seen leaning out of the car window, “pulling faces” and not looking where he was going, a car guard told the Argus. Just as he reached the intersection, which is on a steep incline with the dealership opposite, the driver looked ahead of him. But it was too late.
The car guard said the driver and his friend were very drunk.
Eagles told News24 that one of the showroom vehicles had also been damaged but would not mention the cost and said it was of little importance when considering that a life had been lost.
The Argus reported that the dealership’s reception area had also been damaged.